And Count Me Among Thy Saints
by OrchidLurver
Summary: After being in Ireland for years, the MacManus Brothers and their Da are back. Rated M. Chap 9 now up.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N :**This is my first ever BDS fanfic. I've loved the movie ever since it was first released. It never dawned on me to actually check this site to see if there was a section for it. Duh, big duh on my part. So now, yes now, after all these years and seeing the previews for the second film, I've finally decided to start writing my very own BDS fic. Well I hope it turns out as good as I think it is in my head ;)_

_A/N : *~*~*~*~* indicates flash back and/or change in time/place_

**Disclaimer : I own none of this, but Chrissy, yup she's mine. :)**

**Chapter 1**

_The Angels Wings Hotel 8:44 pm. Boston._

Christine M. Chambours, better known to the locals and her friends as Chrissy, continues sorting through paper work on the front desk of the old hotel. The lights are dimmed, the halls are bare and the rooms are empty. She smiles absently and sighs out loud.

"God, you're never going to get all this done tonight if you keep day dreaming girl." She speaks aloud, trying to keep herself on track.

She has two more days left. Two more days to get the rest of her stuff out of this place and be done with it for good. The Italian mob had offered her a deal she couldn't refuse. _Take said amount of cash, give us this building and we leave you alone for good_. How could she refuse a deal like that? Specially when this place was making hardly enough money to even pay the heating bill.

Her bright brown eyes glance to the overhead clock. 8:44 PM. Again a smile crosses her face. The good news just keeps rolling in for her. Earlier that week, she had received a call from some very good friends of hers calling to inform her that they were making their way back to south Boston very soon, probably by the end of the week.

Her mind, like so many times this night, strolls back to the moment she first met the MacManus boys and their father.

*~*~*~*~*~

Two men followed by a taller older man walk through the front doors of the Angels Wings Hotel. Chrissy eyes all three men, knowing at once who they are.

"Dear God...You're the..." She trails off.

One of the younger males, who she would later come know to as Connor, lights up a cigarette nervously and makes his way to the front desk. He leans over and glances down either hall quickly. "I sure hope that's joy in your voice and not fear."

She swallows hard. "I...Uh...Oh! Don't worry about me calling anyone on you, if that's what you are worried about. I think you fellahs are doing a damn fine job. I don't have none of them damn asses bringing their hores here no more, saves me alot of cleaning to do in the morning."

He gives her a smirk and hands her a roll of cash. "Ye think this will be good enough t'ah last a week?"

Chrissy stares at the money in her hands. "You're giving me money? I'm not charging you fellahs a single dime." She attempts to hand back the offering but is halted by his hand curling her fingers.

"Don't worry about it lass, keep it. Lease we three can do." He smiles again.

"Hey, would it be too much t'ah ask if ye could order us up some food? We can't exactly do that sorta thing at the moment. Not with all our adorin fans and all." The darker haired man asks, again she would later learn to know this other man as Murphy.

For weeks they had stayed at the Angels Wings. Chrissy would supply them with everything they needed. Booze, clothing, food and medical aid. For months at a time they would be gone, traveling from South Boston at night only to return a few months later late in the evening.

She eventually lose count of how many times they came back injured. However, they always came back, they always came _home _eventually.

One day she went up to their room, carrying supplies more then what they usually requested and she knew why. They sat down in the tiny living space and went over their detailed plan. How they planned to return to Ireland, though probably not forever, but they knew it would be for a long time. They pleaded with her to follow, but she refused with a smile, even though her heart was hurting knowing that her only form of family was leaving her probably for good.

Weeks crawled by, then months and then years. They were still gone.

Then just a few weeks ago, they called, and now they were on their way to see her, they were coming home.

*~*~*~*~*~

Now, her heart still feeling as if it's racing she packs the final bits of her papers. Satisfied with her work, she begins gathering boxes together to bring to her S.U.V parked just in the back of the building. She balances her coffee on one of the boxes rested on her hip as she tries to filter through her assortment of keys in her other hand.

_**Knock. Knock. Knock.**_

"What in Gods name..." She stares down the hall to the main entrance. Taking in a deep breath she tries to sound not pissed off. "Sorry! We are closed! You will have to take your business elsewhere. Goodnight." Her eyes roll. "How can people not see that sign outside those doors? I swear some people..."

Her words are cut short by a loud thud and the front doors being rammed in. Shocked, Chrissy's hand tightens on the boxes at her hips and her keys fall to the floor. Her eyes dart from her empty hand to her cell phone sitting on the front desk.

"Shit..."

She drops the boxes and her coffee and darts for her cell phone. A big rough hand grabs her right wrist roughly and yanks her in the direction of a massive body. She doesn't even have to do a double take to know that this monster of a man is part of the Italian mob, people who were no longer suppose to be bothering her.

The man laughs hoarsely. "Hey, hey, hey. Where d'ah think you're going ?"

Her eyes search the hotels main floor frantically. Not even knowing what they are looking for.

"Hey, Vinny. She looks scared. Why do you think she's scared?" A second man comes stumbling in followed by a much smaller thinner man.

The massive man now holding her captive glances back to his comrades. "I don't know..." His eyes return to her and look her up and down. "Maybe it's because she wasn't going to say good-bye before leaving this dump and knows how much that would upset us all." He squeezes her tighter and holds her close to his body.

The smaller man walts around with his hands in his pockets, gingerly twirling a toothpick in his mouth, suddenly he stops and turns on his heel. His eyes become dark. "Or maybe...maybe it's because she has certain friends coming to visit that she thought we didn't know about."

Panic. Written all over her face. Pure panic.

"Shocked honey?" He laughs and spits out the toothpick and squeezes her face roughly with his hand. "Well, if you thinks that's shocking. Wait till you see what we have planned for you."


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N :**What can I say? I'm in a mood to write tonight, and I don't feel like writing for any other of the fics I got going. So yeah, here's chapter 2. Please R&R it makes this person happy ;)_

**Disclaimer : BOOOOOO! Yeah you all know what goes here.**

**Chapter 2**

A set of blue eyes survey the damage to the front staircase of The Angels Wings from across the street. "I reckon masks might be a good thing to be putting on at this moment."

"Aye. But it's not like they won't know who we are." Connor tosses his brother an identical copy of his black mask.

"True." Murphy pulls the cloth over his head and adjusts the eye holes. "Maybe..."

"...they don't know what we look like." Connor smirks. "Shall we keep it that way then, brother?"

Murphy shrugs his shoulders and slaps a clip into the end of his semi-automatic hand gun. "T'is been a while since I've done that." He looks over his shoulder to his twin. "What if they..."

"Hey, don't think like that...and if they did..." Connor growls. "They're dead either way."

Murphy makes his way across the street and up the stairs without a sound, his brother close behind. Both of them holding their weapons just in viewing range. They take slow breathes, trying to distinguish any noises or voices from within the building.

"Hey, I said keep your head up." A loud thunderous voice is heard laughing. "It's hard to see your pretty face with all this mess of hair."

_SLAP!_

"She just spit on me again! Bitch!"

_SLAP! THUD!_

"Well maybe it's because you need to tighten those restraints." A lower toned voice now, almost calm. "I told you two idiots that tying her up there would be pointless."

At that, Connor loses his patience he jolts up from his sitting position and walks into the main hall. His aim is perfect sending a bullet right through the gigantic mans skull. However, seeing Chrissy his trigger arm begins to lower to his side. Murphy confused dashes to his twins side. Enraged, both brothers make way towards the two other assailants.

Either these men are really slow or really dumb. One of them pulls a gun from his jacket but not fast enough. Murphy despatches him quickly with two bullets wounds to the chest. The thinner man lunges himself at Connor, who casually moves out of the way. Seeing how pathetic this man really is, Connor squeezes the trigger and lets of a shot to the back of the mans head.

_Silence._

The brothers stare at what's before them. Chrissy kneeling on top of the front desk, her torso leaning forward, her wrists tied up with rope tossed over some piping above her head being the only thing keeping her from falling forward. Her long curly dark hair flows over her face. Her black halter turtle neck is ripped and torn at her chest, revealing her breasts in a pink bra spattered with blood and stains. Her dark blue skinny jeans are also stained with blood and god knows what else.

"Holy Mother..." Murphy begins.

"Aye, lets get her down." Connor signals for his brother to jump up onto the counter top.

"Boys?" Chrissy mutters in a low whisper. "Is that my boys I hear?" Her head begins to move slowly as if trying to find the source of the voices she just heard.

"Aye." Murphy says excited to hear her talking. He begins cutting at her restraints faster. One of her arms come dangling loose.

Connor smiles up at her and moves her hair out of her eyes. "Hey, darlin."

"Connor? Is that you?" Her voice sounds shaky, almost none believing.

He removes his mask quickly and shoves it into his pocket. "Yah, it's me." He tries smiling brightly for her.

A silky smooth free hand cups the side of his face. "You guys...you're early..." She laughs.

"Ok. Here comes her second arm." Murphy cuts the second rope and slowly lets her arm down to his brother.

Connor clutches her and lightly drags her off the desk and kneels to the floor with her in his arms. Murphy jumps down and makes his way to her side. The twins clear her face of her hair.

"Jesus..." Murphy bites the top of his fist. Her face is nothing but a pattern of open cuts and bruises.

Connor continues running his gloved hand along her hair. "Chrissy..."

Her arms shaking, she reaches out and holds both their faces in her hands. "God, I've missed you boys." Tugging at their necks she brings them both in for a small hug.

"We're sorry lass." Connor whispers, almost whimpers into her ear.

"Aye." Murphy agrees. Trying to keep the lump in his throat down.

They pull back from her knowing they should leave, quickly. The darker haired twin removes his coat and covers his shivering friend with it. He nods to his brother and they both stand, Connor still carrying Chrissy.

Murphy heads for the back door. "Right. Chris, tell me you got a car or something..."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N : Uh huh, that's right. Another chapter up! This is a BIG ONE! This one is basically to set us up, to know a little more about Chrissy. And man, I don't know a thing when it comes to Boston, so I really had to do my research...fewww...Oh and be warned, there are Irishmen in this chapter, so there will be a lot of swearing. Damn I love this chapter. Please Review It's what I live off of!!!_

**_A/N : I edited one small thing in this chapter. The sides of 'anything' that the boys choose. Originally I had Murphy say he takes the left and Connor always the right. But I switched that, I had it backwards sorry. I noticed that in the movie, that Murphy is always situated to the right and Connor always to the left hand side. Wether it be when they are standing outside the church, their choice of beds, even sitting at Roccos place. So I decided that was a major factor._**

**Disclaimer : It really does break my heart everytime I have to write that I do not own something lol**

**Chapter 3**

Nodding, Chrissy points with her right hand to something in a puddle of coffee. "Or something." A smirk plays across her battered face.

Following the direction of her index Murphy sees a hump of keys. Swiftly he bends down to one knee and picks up the mass of metal, he holds it out in front of him at arms length in disgust. "Oi, they're wet. How many keys ye got on here? This mess has got to way a god damn tone!" He eyes the keys as if trying to count them or smell them.

"And this? Is he yer little buddy?" He points to a now rather sickly looking key chain frog. Once the little stuffed toy had been a bright glowing green with a happy smile, his dangling hands and feet a bright yellow. Now, stained with coffee, the little tree hugger had definitely seen better days.

Chrissy does her best to chuckle, knowing that the twin was only trying to lighten the mood. "Yes he is. I call him Raskull. The Tahoe is out back." She squints her eyes in pain, wheezing lightly.

Connor looks to his twin. "Right lets go."

The three of them exit the building and make their way to vehicle. Murphy's jaw almost drops when he sees the beauty of an S.U.V sitting in front of him, he stops in his tracks and turns to his brother with a smirk. "I'm driving."

A light tugging at the neck of Connors coat brings his focaust to the woman in his arms. "Can you stay with me?" Her eyes plead with him to not leave her alone. Not wanting to relive the nights events in her mind, she silently prays that he understands. To her relief he nods.

"Aye."

Murphy hits the unlock button on the key chain to their new ride and then opens the back doors. "Get in. I'll go get anythin we left behind. Chris is there anythin ye need me to grab?"

"Uhmm yes. My purse and the boxes of paper work. Oh and my cell phone. Please. I don't want any evidence that I was here when you guys..." Her hands suddenly become interesting to her, to ashamed of what happened within the last few hours to look at either of her boys. "Thanks. Both of you. Really."

Murphy chewing at his lower lip nods and heads back to the hotel. Connor begins entering the Tahoe, Chrissy still in his arms. "Ye ain't got nothin ta be thankin us for."

She can feel her eyes rolling in their sockets. "Right...and why is that?" Her grip tightens around his collar as he shifts their weight to the back seats of the vehicle.

With an 'Oumph' Connor sits and his body begins to relax. "Cause. Like we said, this is our fault. If ye didn't have anythin to do with us in the first place..." He drops his head back and lets it rest against the seat. Feeling her body move, his arms flex and wrap around her protectively.

The back door swings open and a few boxes are pilled neatly onto the floor. "That's all of it. Yer purse is back here too, I put'yer cell inside it." The door closes and in seconds Murphy is in the front seat. "Now, where we heading? You still live at the same place?"

"No. Head to Boylston Street. I own a condo building there." Chrissy allows her eyelids to fall. "I stay there as well."

Murphy lets out a low laugh. "Right. Boylston." He jams the sticky key into the ignition the frog dangles and hits the top of his knee, he starts the vehicle and places it into drive. "So that should take us what'ye think? Ten maybe fifteen minutes to get there?" The head lights are turned on and he drives out of the back parking lot.

Her eyes don't even have to be open to know that they are finally leaving. A speed bump exiting the area tells her that that horrible building is finally out of her life. Grinning she nuzzles the side of her face against the strong chest beside her and dozes off.

*~*~*~*~*~

"I think yer lost Murph." Connor smirks in the back seat. "See, this is why I always drive." His eyes scan the streets and the tall buildings.

"Listen, I'm just takin a few side streets is all."

"Right, right. So I suppose missing the street entirely was in yer plans too, right?" Again, Connor snickers.

The brakes are all but slammed and Murphy yanks the steering wheel to the left. Connor is amazed that the sudden change in direction hasn't woken their lady friend. "Fucking Christ!"

"Yah, yah. Quit yer whining, I found the place." Murphy glances up at the rear view to see a red faced brother staring right back. He has a hard time not grinning at the site of his twin, his knees bent, his feet dug into the back of a seat as if trying to secure his spot.

"T'wasn't funny alright." Connor exhales. "I could of dropped'er."

"Sorry." Murphys face goes grim, then brightens up again. "But ye half to admit, the look on yer face..."

"Oh just shut it and drive. I'm going to wake'er so she can point out the place." Connor begins rubbing Chrissy's arm lightly. "Lass. Ye need to show us which one."

A murr murr of words he can't register leave her lips as she tries to adjust her head to see out one of the windows. "It's that one." She points to a very tall beautiful tanned brick building. "My parking is around back."

"What's with yer parkin being out back all the time." Murphy slowly guides the Tahoe to the back of the building.

"I like it there. It's the one spot with no cameras. And it's the only way to get to my condo without being seen. It's got a private elevator, also no cameras."

Connor lets out a humorous puff and helps Chrissy to a sitting position. "Yer well prepared for us aren't ye?"

Serious, she looks up at him. "It's why I bought the place."

His grin diminishes and he clears his throat. "We best be going."

The side door swings open. "Aye, hand her hear." Murphy places a foot solidly on the step bar and holds out his arms.

*~*~*~*~*~

The elevator ride is quick, it has only one destination. The double doors swing open to a luxurious modern hall. The walls are painted in a light beige and trimmed in dark chocolate brown. Ferns and various plants lead the way to the main entrance, pearl white and trimmed silver double doors.

Connor places the boxes at his feet and pulls the mess of keys out from his pocket. Chrissy giggles. "It uses a card. It's in my bag."

"Jesus. Ye think this is lavish enough?" Connor begins riffling through her purse.

Murphy chuckles at the site of his brother, a grown man going through a very pink purse. "Ye look fucking ridiculous."

"Ah shut the fuck up. Sides, I found it." He holds the plastic white card infront of his twins eyes like some kind of reward. A red light flickers and turns green after he swipes it through the slot beside the door. A click sound is heard. Connor turns the knob and pushes the one door open.

Murphy carefully carries Chrissy through the doors. He goes down through the hall and comes to a stop. "Holy fucking shite..." He stands before a gigantic room with nothing in it but three, two story windows trimmed in that same dark chocolate brown. On either side are massive curtains, the exact same color as the rest of the walls and marble floor, light beige. From where he is standing, he can see that directly over him is another floor that has the same view of the window. "Woman, ye know yer rich when ye have a balcony inside yer apartment."

Chrissy smiles and rests her throbbing head against his shoulder. "It's a condo sweety."

"Uh huh...Now where do ye want me to put'ye down?" His eyes continue to scan this floor for any sign of furniture.

"My room is upstairs, so you can just put me on the sofa in the living room." She points to the empty room before him. "If you just turn to your left, there is a living room right here."

So he does as she says, turns to the left and heads towards the middle of the room. Again, he's amazed. After a few steps, he's in the living room. He looks around as he places her onto a white couch. A fireplace turns on and he nearly jumps out of his skin.

"It's motion censored."

"Aye. I just wasn't expecting it to be." Sarcasm rolling off his tongue.

Connor places the boxes just behind the couch. "I don't think I've ever seen so much white."

"Aye." Murph agrees lighting up a cigarette. "Oh is it alright if I..."

She snorts at the thought of him actually thinking she cares. "Yeah...it's fine." She waves him off.

The smell of the smoke being tempting, Connor rips the cigarette from his brothers hand with out even thinking about, leaving his twin to light another. "I thought'ye said that'ye bought this place because yer were preparing for us."

"Yes. Basically."

"Did ye have a good look here woman when ye bought the place? Because there's a lot of white, and that can be bad with us around." He coughs out between puffs.

"I know. I didn't like it at first." A frown appears on her face. "But it grew on me. And I bought it a few years back...I didn't think..."

"Aye." Connor glances at his twin who nods back. "We get it." They both understand that she had really thought they weren't ever coming back, back home.

Chrissy inhales deeply and then exhales. "I can see, that now, it might become an issue."

Connor takes a seat on one of the lavish sofa chairs across from Chrissy. Leaning over with his elbows on his knees, he taps his cigarette at the edge of the ash tray on the coffee table. He brings the Malboro back to his lips and inhales. "Ye need to get cleaned up?"

She props herself up onto her elbos and stares out the windows. "God, yes." Stifly, she bends her knees and begins to rise. "I can't make it to my room on my own, but I will be fine once I'm there."

The brothers are at her side supporting her by her arms. Her knees shake with every step she takes, but they make it up the stairs and to her room. All the way at the far end of the second floor.

"Thanks boys." Her body plops down onto her king size, pillow-top, feather down covered bed.

"Fuck-sakes." She hears Murphy walking around her room. "The bed too?"

Connor pats him on the shoulder. "The lady likes white."

"When Da gets here, he's going to think he's actually died and gone to heaven. Don't be surprised if ye see him wondering around looking for Jesus himself."

"Your dad? When do you expect him?" Chrissy's smile broadens with the thought of that man. How she loves him like the father she never had.

"Da? Well not for another month or so." Connor explains. "Had to come to Boston separately. Might seem a wee bit suspicious and all."

"Right. I understand." Her smile doesn't leave her face. "Alright, I'm going to shower now. You boys can go snoop around."

"Nah. Just tell us where we can crash." Murph rubs the back of his head and stretches as far as his body will possibly let him.

"I've set up a room for you guys two doors down. There's two beds...Oh and a closet with all your stuff."

Both boys kiss her lovingly on the forehead before leaving her room.

Connor begins closing her door. "Yer a true saint ye know that right? Did ye want one of us to stay here...ye know in yer room, while ye cleaned up? Just in case..."

Chrissy nods her head and makes her way to her door. "Nah. I'll be fine."

He gives her the 'I don't know...' look that makes her feel guilty.

"I promise. I just need some alone time."

"Alright." He sighs. "Just...just leave this door open a crack alright? It'll make us feel better."

She nods and does as he requests.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Shite. Look at the size of this room." Murphy waltz over to the bed at the farthest part of the room. "Both beds have a perfect view of the door. That woman knows us well. It's almost creepy." He snorts, lighting up another cig.

"Aye." Connor sits at the edge of the opposite bed. "This room is twice the size of the apartment we had here." He shakes his head in disbelief.

"At least this room isn't covered in white." Murphy sits on his bed and begins untying his boots. "Greys and blacks are fine with me."

Connor glances down to the bedding. Grey duvets with black and silver lining. He had to admit, not something he would have picked, but he sure didn't mind it. "Do ye think she put 'all' our stuff in that closet?" He stares at the side by side doors just in front of Murphy's bed.

"Don't know. Think we should take a look." Murph licks his lips in anticipation.

The other brother nods. Both of them stand infront of the doors. They each grab a handle and turn the knob.

"Holy..." Murph breathes out. "I thought this was just a closet, not a damned bathroom as well." He walks into a little hall, which is the closet and walks towards another set of doors that are open ajar to a bathroom. "It's massive. There's a shower stall and a really big tub."

"It's sure getting easier and easier to like it here." Connor says in amazement as he looks over the shelves in the closet. "She's got us everything here. Clothes. Boots. Coats. Weapons."

Murphy stalks across the floor and begins laughing. "Even your fucking rope."

Connor turns around with his own surprise. "T'isn't as funny as this. Rambo." He holds out an identical set of knives. "She really did think of everything." He pulls out a jumbo size First aid kit. "Bet she bought the entire damn hospital."

"Aye." Murph whistles and bends to his knees. "She really does care for us doesn't she."

Connor nods, agreeing. "Wait till Da'sees all of this."

"He'll shite himself on the spot."

The twins laugh.

*~*~*~*~*~

The spray of the water from the double shower heads is so warm and inviting. Chrissy bends her head back, welcoming the soothing water, allowing it to rinse away all the spit, grime, vodka and blood that was caked to her body.

Vodka. She can still feel the mist of it, like as if the massive man was there spitting it all over her all over again. She can still smell it as it made its way through her hair and down her back. She can steel feel the throbbing in her cheek where he had hit her for rejecting his tongue in her mouth.

"Ick." She quivers. "Breathe." She shakes the images from her mind.

She lathers her hair with shampoo and smiles at the feeling of the bubbles making their way down her spine as she rinses the soap away. Grabbing a hand full of conditioner, she finger combs it through her hair and massages her scalp and then rinses that away too. Her skin usually a golden color, is now a mixture between dirty and muddy.

"I'll fix that." She puts the water on full blast and begins soaping up her skin. Soon, she won't remember anything, it will all be gone. Those three men will be gone. The vodka will be gone. She scrubs harder at her skin, it begins to turn a light pink.

"It's still there." She can still feel it, the booze, the spit, their skin. Her scrubbing becomes faster and more vigorous, her skin reddens. "I can still feel it." Tears stream down her face, although the water from the shower masks it. "It's everywhere." She swears it's still there. She can smell it. She begins to sob.

"Hey, hey, hey."

She hears behind her, but continues to scrub at her arms and chest.

"Chrissy..." Hands come from behind her and hold her own down. Arms wrap around her trying to calm her down and keep her from scrubbing at her skin. Determined, she attempts to keep scrubbing, her body quivers, her hands shake as she tries to continue cleaning herself.

Connor whips her around to face him. "Hey, ye got to calm down." He pulls her to him and wraps his arms around her shoulders. Her sobs deepen as she presses her forehead to his chest.

"Shhh. It's okay lass, we're here." He looks over his shoulder to his brother, somehow with their twin intuition, Murphy knows he wants him to turn off the water.

"Fuck me, why everything in this place so damn big?" Murphy stands on the opposite end of the shower soaked.

Chrissy raises her eyes from Connors chest to see that both brothers are soaked head to toe. Her body shivers uncontrollably. "I'm so cold."

Connor tightens his grip around her. "I bet. Ye've been in here over an hour, the water is freezin. We were worried and came to check on ye and..."

"I'm sorry." She begins to weep again.

Connor looks to his twin for support. "Hey, don't worry about it. We were just worried." Murph wraps her robe around her shoulders. "Come on ye need to dry up."

Still shivering, she tugs the robe closed and allows a dripping Connor and Murphy lead the way to her bed.

*~*~*~*~*~

Standing outside Chrissy's bedroom door the boys have a debate.

"Aye, I don't like leaving her alone in her room either. But this is something she needs to deal with." Connor tries to be the voice of reason, tries.

"What the fuck was she doing? Is she looking to get sick? Did ye see the look in her eyes? The woman's not right." Murphy bows his head, regretting his words.

"We both know that she's trying to cope." Connor sighs.

"Aye, but with what? She hasn't told us a fucking thing. All we can do is guess...and I can't fucking take it. All I can do is imagine..." It takes everything he has to keep from kicking the wall.

"Listen Murph, we can't assume anything. She'll come to us when she's ready. Until then we shut the fuck up and don't think of shit." Connor points an angry finger at his brother.

"Whatever Connor. Let me know how that works for ye. Cause we both know that both our minds will be fucking thinking shit up until she says something." He slaps his twins hand away from his chest and storms off to their room. "Now lets try and get some fuckin sleep."

Connor takes one last look at Chrissys door, exhales deeply, runs his hands over his face and then heads for bed.

*~*~*~*~*~

2:23 am in bright red shows on Chrissy's alarm clock. She hasn't slept since the shower incident, even heard the entire conversation the twins had just outside her room.

Afraid, she hasn't moved from the spot in her bed where they had left her. Afraid and maybe a little ashamed, embarrassed, don't forget embarrassed. They'd both seen her in her must vulnerable state, not to mention naked. She covers her face with a pillow at the thought of her boys seeing her naked.

"God I'm an idiot."She puffs.

Her eyes dart from one end of her room to another. Is it helpless she feels? Scared? She can't even describe to herself what it is that's causing her such fear. Shouldn't she feel at ease in her room? Safe now that the boys were just down the hall?

She tugs the blankets closer to her frame. Her body jolts when she hears a knock at her door.

Clearing her throat she turns on her bedside lamp. "Yes?"

The door opens a bit to reveal Murphy. "Are ye alright?"

She feels relieved, knowing that somehow they new to check up on her. "I...I'm fine. Why?" She sits welcoming the light in the room. "Have you slept yet?"

He shakes his head. "Neither has Connor." It's his turn to clear his throat. "Listen, we're both really worried about'ye...do ye need t'ah...is there anything we can..." He bows his head, ashamed of his manner and his inability to form complete sentences and of what he's about to ask. "Did they do anythin to ye other then just hit'ye?" His eyes focus on the floor, the only thing he can do to guise his guilt.

Silence.

His eyes glance up, but his head remains lowered. "Chrissy? I didn't mean t'offend..."

Tears stream from her eyes and make trails down her cheeks and slowly drop from her chin onto her bed.

"Chrissy. I'm sorry..." He steps back a bit keeping his eyes on her. "Connor!" He hopes his brother hears him. "Connor!"

Quick footsteps are heard just out in the hall. Connor walks into the room rubbing his eyes yawning. "What the fuck ye yelling for?" He blinks a few times and then his eyes focus. "Christ!" He slaps his brother behind the head while making his way to the grief stricken woman. "I told ye not to bother her."

Connor kneels down in front of her and wipes away her tears. "Don't mind him. He means well and all. Idiot."

"I know. It's okay." She pushes his hands away lightly. "I'm just..." She looks to the ceiling as if it has all the answers she wants. "I'm just scared." She laughs. "And I don't really know why."

Both brothers stare at her, waiting for her to tell them how to help. Something. Anything.

"I haven't slept since you guys left." She takes in a breath. "I've been afraid to close my eyes."

Murphy sits down beside her and throws his arm around her shoulders. "It's alright. We're here." He smiles heroically at her.

"I know, I keep telling myself that you're just down the hall. I just feel like I'm so scared that I won't even be able to scream if I need to." She admits sheepishly.

Connor rubs her knees with both hands. "Ye want us to stay in the room. I can take the chair and Murph can take the floor."

Murphy slaps his brother on top of the head.

"Oww."

Chrissy raises her brow. "Right, like we haven't all shared a bed before."

Murphy places his hands behind himself and bounces a little. "It is a big bed." He smirks. "Whatever, just don't complain when me brother starts hogging the blankets and snoring."

Connor raises his brow and gives his brother a sour look. "Oh right. And try to stay away from Murph, ye might find a wet spot." Connor blocks a pillow being shot to his face with his forearm.

Chrissy laughs and moves to the middle of the bed. "You boys going to fight over who gets what side?"

"Nah, I always get the right side of anything and Connor always goes to the left side." Murph removes his shirt.

"Why's that?"

"Don't know really. Just always been that way." Connor follows suit and then they both slide under the covers. "Sweety, can you get the light please."

"Ah fuck ye." Murph sends another pillow hurtling towards Connor.

"He gets rather cranky when he hasn't had his beauty sleep." Connor laughs protecting his head from more flying pillows.

With no more ammunition, but his own pillow and he wasn't about to toss that away, Murph gives up the pillow tossing for now. "Yer just jealous because I got the prettier face."

"Well God saw it fit t'ah give ye the prettier face since he gave me the bigger...."

That was it, Murphy no longer had a pillow. "Shut yer fuckin trap. Ye know damn well I was born first!"

"Says the man with the smaller cock." Connor spits out laughing his guts out.

Murph turns off the lamp as all three lie in bed panting from laughing too hard.

"You boys behave now and go to sleep."

"Yes moder." The twins say in unison.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N : First off I want to start off with giving a big shout out to those reviewing and/or reading. Means alot. I'm actually just writing this for my own personal pleasure, but hey if you guys are loving it just as much, well then that just gives this author that nice fuzzy feeling inside lol._**

**_Disclaimer : Lame, but I don't own B.D.S_**

**Chapter 4**

Rains taps lightly against the window. Eyes shift under their lids. Chrissy raises her head from her pillow to see the time once again on her night stand. Vision out of focus she can still make out the 6:23 AM. She lets out a heavy breath and drops her head back down. Her fingers on her left hand find her temple and massage at the tention there. Attempting to move in her sheets she realizes something.

_Constricted._

She rubs at her tired eyes with her palms, hoping this will help with the morning routine of 'waking up'. Sight no longer blurry, her eyes shift slowly left to right. Uncertain of whether she should feel embarrassed of the fact they had to sleep beside her to comfort her, or ecstatic that they were there at all. She decides to go with ecstatic.

Staring at their sleeping forms she does her best to drown her giggles. Her mind can't seem to register the fact that these two men really do everything the same. Granted that they do favor whatever it is they do to one side.

Her eyes look over to Murphy lying on the right hand side fo the bed curled on his right side and then to Connor lying on the left side of the bed lying on his left side.

Deciding that they desevered to sleep in she climbs out of bed and heads down stairs.

*~*~*~*~*~

9:14 AM

Connor slowly opens his eyes and shifts his body. A little lost with his surroundings, his mind recalculates the nights events. Remembering, he clears his throat and forces himself to sit up straight. He glances over his right shoulder to see his twin, Murphy doing the same.

"Mornin." He sniffles.

Murphy clears his throat and nods. "Did ye sleep at all?"

"Aye." Connor yawns putting on his shirt. "Where's Chrissy?"

Murphy looks to the middle of the bed and shrugs his shoulders. "Don't know." He puts his shirt on and both brothers head downstairs. "Something tells me she's down here."

They can hear voices. Familiar ones. Chrissy for sure and the male one they know, but can't place for some reason. Their eyes meet and they know to be careful. They both slide up against the wall just before the living room.

Connor glances with one eye around the corner and then looks to his brother. "No ones there. Must be in the kitchen."

Murph hunches over slightly, trying to hide behind any furniture in the living room, his brother not far behind. "Why the fuck are we going all stealth? Hiding behind a fuckin sofa?"

Connor puts a finger up and hushes his brother. "Shhh..." He sits up a bit trying to scan the hall to the kitchen. "Cause, we don't fuckin know who's here. Could be a fuckin cop and she's just trying to keep him from findin us."

Connor taps his brother on the shoulder. "Come'on." He signals Murph to follow.

Both men make their way down the hall to the kitchen inaudibly, their backs still pressed up against a wall they listen.

"Are you sure they didn't leave any evidence behind?" The male voice asks.

"Yes, I'm sure." They hear Chrissy reply.

The twins look at each other and shrug their shoulders, obviously lost as to who she would be talking with about them.

They hear someone inhale, like as if taking a long drag from a cigarette. "What about the pennies? Did they leave any pennies?" They hear the male walk around the kitchen confused.

"Not that I know of. Murphy went in the hotel to get my things. But he wasn't in there long enough to do that thing with the pennies. Plus, I think him and Connor do that sort of thing together."

"Right. Right." Another long inhale. "I'll do what I can with this. There shouldn't be away for anyone to connect this with them, but I just like to have all my information lined up."

Chrissy is heard shuffling around the kitchen, opening and closing drawers and cupboards. "You can just ask them everything you need to know when they wake up."

Another inhale. "Yeah, I suppose. It's you that I'm worried about."

"Me." She laughs. "Why?"

"Because, if anyone can be connected to this, it's you."

"You can't be serious." She huffs. "How's that possible?"

Having heard enough to conclude that the visitor is not a threat the brothers step around the corner and make their presence known.

Connor with arms crossed is the first of the twins to speak. "Because'ye probably left some evidence behind."

Chrissy almost jumps with the suprise of them coming out of nowhere.

"He's right'ye know. With the way they handled'ye. Yer blood and everything else is all probably everywhere." Muphy explains while examining their visitor.

The gentleman in the grey suit pulls his cigarette gently out of his mouth and nods in their direction. "Boys."

A smile plays across the face of both the MacManus brothers. They each take their turn to shake the man's hand and pat him on the back.

Murphy takes a cigarette offered to him by this man and lights it. "Smecker. How the fuck are'ye?"

Smirking he hands Connor a cigarette as well. "I was doing fine, that is until you two asses left me another mess to clean."

Connor sits back lighting his sin stick. "Well, t'wasn't how we planned starting out our first day back." His eyes fall onto Chrissy. "We had a wee bit of an emergency."

Smecker follows his gaze. "So I've been told."

Feeling kind of on the spot, Chrissy suddenly finds the floor interesting. An arm wraps around her shoulders and tugs her firmly next to a warm body.

"Ah. Don't mind'em." Murph smiles down at her, his cigarette hanging from his lips. "Ye know damn straight we'd do it again."

She smiles half heartedly back and nods. "Yeah. I know."

Silence. A few minutes goes by, the three men just nursing their cigarettes and Chrissy feeling more and more uncomfortable.

"So you boys hungry." She clears her throat. "I made coffee. I can cook up some breakfast."

Murphy claps his hands together loudly. "Alright. Tell me yer making bacon, eggs and ole that good stuff." He says with the biggest grin she's ever seen.

Chrissy laughs out loud at the expression on his face. "No problem. You just need to go get me whatever it is you want me to cook from the freezer and fridge." She begins lighting her stove and grill.

"Right." He glances around the kitchen, turns quickly on his heal and then leans towards her. "Where the hell is the freezer?"

She points to a massive steel door on the wall near the hallway. "Over there."

Connor turns around to see where she's pointing at. His eyes widen. "Yer freezer has a damn steal door?"

"So does the fridge." She points to the second stainless steal door. "But that's a storage fridge."

"Tell me it has a shite load of beer in there." Murphy heads to the freezer. "I better not get locked in here." The door opens and he heads into the freezer, an overhead light turns on and he nods approvingly.

Connor stares at the back of Chirssy's head, biting his lower lip.

"Yes there's a full supply of beer in the fridge." She shakes her head. "You guys think I wouldn't of stalked up?"

Smecker looks to Connor and they both laugh.

"Woman's got you two spoiled." The F.B.I agent tosses his no longer needed cigarette into the ash tray.

"Bacon!" Murphy yells triumphedly, holding the meat high above his head, emerging from the freezer.

*~*~*~*~*~

Over breakfast the details of Chrissy's evidence was discussed. If she is to be approached by any law enforcer she's to say that the three men slapped her around a bit and then she took off. Whatever happened to them after that she doesn't know.

Smecker informed them that the rope used to bound her with would be used against her statement. He suggested that he himself should go back to the seen, remove the rope and destroy it. Since the only way he actually found out about this entire incident was because of Chrissy's phone call this morning, he knew for certain that it had not even been called in yet.

"Now, they will ask you why you didn't see it relivent to call this in. Three men beating on a woman, they will have a hard time digesting the fact that you didn't call to report it." He takes a long drag of his cig and then looks at Chrissy. He points to the table with his index. "You tell them that these guys were known for being Italian mob. And that you thought reporting them would be asking for more trouble."

Chrissy nods her head. "Ok. So I got thrown around and I didn't report it because I was afraid they would come here and finish me off. Got it."

Smecker smiles. "Perfect." He looks to the twins and his smile fades. "Now you two." He points at them a cigarette still between his fingers.

"What?" Connor asks innocently.

"You know damn straight what." He takes a drag and lets the smoke drift out his nostrils. "You two fucks have got to lay low for now."

Murph slaps his brother on the shoulder. "We weren't plannin on doing anythin, weren't we Conn?"

Connor grins and rests his hands on his knees. "That's right, nothin." The two brothers laugh.

His face serious he glares at the two, his face reddening. "Listen, I can't have you two frolicking around while I'm tring to cover this up. And don't even think about asking to go to church! It'll have to wait."

The boys let out a gasp of disbelieft. "Come on now." Connor starts.

"I mean it. It'll have to wait." Smecker shakes his head and places his palms to his eyes. "I understand why you didn't do the thing with the pennies, no connections. But that doesn't mean you can go around letting people see you."

He removes his hands from his face and taps his cigarette into the ash tray. "I know how bad you want to do confession and all that, but it's just too risky."

Neither of the twins say anything, they both just stare at the table, their jaws set like as if they are being lectured by a parent.

"Think of Chrissy." The agent says trying to get through to them. "If you go out in public and one of those low life mob fucks see you...they'll no for sure what really went on. Then they'll come here...and I don't think I need to go into detail of what will happen then."

"No." The brothers answer together, still staring at the table.

"So don't even think about taking out all these wise guys right now." Smecker leans over the table and taps them lightly on the side of the face. "Jesus, look at me." He sits back in his seat and runs his fingers through his hair. "It would be too much too soon. The connection would be made and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

Connor looks to his brother who stares back. "Alright. We'll stay outtah sight. For now."

Smecker exhales a breath of relief.

"Yah." Murphy points a finger at the agent across the table from him. "But don't think we're going to just let this go. Those men are all dead."

"You guys just love making my job hard don't you." Smecker backs up his chair, adjusts his suit and stands. "Just at least wait till this blows over, okay?"

"Aye. We'll try." Connor looks at Chrissy who's sitting silently avoiding his stare. "But if they give us reason..."

"Yeah, yeah." Smecker looks to his watch. "I'm leaving now. I'm going to head over to that hotel. Now if all goes as planned, you might have a visitor here sometime tonight or early tomorrow morning. I'll try to call you ahead of time."

"Alright." Chrissy stands and begins to walk with Smecker to the door.

"Don't let these two out of your site." He points behind himself with a thumb. "If someone knocks at the door, just get these two to go to your panic room."

Chrissy chuckles, knowing the twins have know idea about what they are talking about. "I will. Thank-you."

Smecker takes one last look at the three people standing in front of him. "K, I'm out of here."

*~*~*~*~*~

Connor lies stretched out across the couch, one arm over his eyes, the other relaxing on his chest holding a can of beer.

Murphy lounges on a sofa chair staring at his feet on the coffee table. "So, what's the panic room Smecker was jabbering about?"

"Oh, just a secret room at the back of my closet." She answers flatly and continues staring out her windows to the parks below, with their lush green trees and grass, their little ponds, their tidy path ways and little benches. This scene always seems to calm her, even when it's thundering outside like it is now.

She can feel two sets of eyes on her. She rubs her arms briskly with her hands. "Smecker came up with the idea a while back."

"Smecker?" Intrigued Connor moves himself into a sitting position. "Ye've been keeping contact with him since we left?"

"Well, it's more like he was keeping tabs on me." She makes her way to the sofa and sits beside Connor. "He makes sure to visit at least once every two weeks. And he calls here at least once a week."

Murph shakes his head almost in disbelief. "Really?" He takes a swig of his beer.

"We were right'about him being a good man." Connor taps her knee with his palm. "It's nice to know he was keepin an eye on'ye while we were away."

"He kept saying, they'll be back you know." She snickers. "I think he missed you guys. Missed the excitement."

"So ye have this secret room." Connor counts on his hand.

"Smeckers idea." Murphy reminds him.

"Right." Connor points to his second finger. "Ye got a shite load of weapons in our closet." Third finger. "A condo building." He looks to his brother.

"Anything else ye want to let us know about?" Murph laughs while taking a swig of his beer.

"Like how the hell did'ye get all that fuckin shite in the closet? Did Smecker help with that?"

"No." Chrissy chuckles. "Ed Gibbons got that for me."

The twins pass a look of confusion between each other.

Murphy puts his beer on the table. "Who the fuck is that?"

Chrissy glances from one man to the other. "You two honestly don't remember?"

The brothers look at each, look at her and then shrug their shoulders.

"Oh my god. Do you remember that time you guys tracked down those four cop killers?" Chrissy raises her brow questioningly.

"Aye...but what's that have to do with anything?" Connor says puzzled.

"Wait...The cop. The one they killed, his name was..." Murph begins.

Connors eyes widen understanding. "Mike Gibbons."

"Right." Chrissy agrees excitedly. "K, so Ed Gibbons was his father, a retired detective."

Interested to see where this is going the twins wait for her to continue.

"Anyways, when I bought this place I posted an add for a security officer, night shift, front desk. When he applied I asked why did a retired man want a job. He told me that he was bored and needed something to pass the time. His wife died of cancer the year before his son was killed, and now with his son gone he needed something to keep his mind occupied."

Chrissy takes a breath and lets her body relax into the smooth material of the sofa. "Then one night the car I had at the time wouldn't start, so I went to the front desk and asked Ed if he wouldn't mind giving it a boost. As he worked on getting my car started, he started telling me about how his son had died. Wich of corse I already knew, because you guys were staying at my hotel when all this had happened."

"Then he started saying how he had planned on going on some vengeful rampage, and how he had planned to find the bastards that killed his son so brutelly." She stops and sits forward. "Then he stopped working on my car and just looked up at me and said that although he was pretty sure he could of found the guys, he wasn't so sure that he could of gone through with killing them. Then one morning, he had heard about the Saints and how they had killed four men, known gangsters and how the police had found evidence of them being the men that had murdered the young cop from South Boston in April."

Murphy winces his eyes confused. "So what ? Ye just said can'ye get me some guns?"

"No." She sighs, knowing how long this story is. "He got my car started and started packing away all his tools and then he gave me that look again and told me that in that moment, that morning he felt like for once justice had been served. That he had always thought himself to be a brave man, but knew deep down he couldn't do what you guys did."

Chrissy looks at her hands and starts stretching out her fingers. "I got into my car, rolled down my window to say thanks and just as I was about to put the car in gear he put his hand on my shoulder. So I smiled but he didn't smile back, he just said..."

_"Look, I know they were staying at the Angel's Wings. I know you were helping them out all those times. Don't ask me how I know, just know that I know. I have my ways of finding things out when I need to. I was going to try and do something to thank them, for all that they've done for everyone, but I didn't want to draw attention to them. I know they've been gone for sometime, but when I saw your add, I couldn't help myself. Let me help."_

"Fuck. He knew the entire time?" Connor looks to his brother stunned.

"That's his way of showing trust. He could of opened his mouth and turned you guys in at anytime, but he didn't." Chrissy smiles. "Anyways, his way of helping is what's in your closet. I didn't ask questions. Just told him what I needed gave him the money and he got it for me."

"So he knows why there are no cameras in yer section of the building then. What about the day time guy?" Murphy asks, a little worried.

"Don't worry. He thinks I just like to have a private life." She winks.

Connor leans into the sofa. "Is that it then?"

Chrissy pushes her dark wavy hair behind her. "What do you mean?"

"Is there anything else ye should be tellin us?" Murph leans back into his chair, digging his hand into his front pocket looking for his zippo. "Like anyone else that knows about us?"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Chrissy begins playing with a lose string on her gray sweater. "Well there's the cleaning lady..." She begins with a smile. "A doctor and his daughter."

"Jesus Christ, woman! What did ye do while we were gone? Post a damn bill board and then toss all these people intah one building?" Connor questions her, his face turning crimson. He grips her shoulders roughly. "Do ye know how fuckin dangerous..."

"Connor. Please." Chissy grasps his forearms. "Calm down. These people, everyone of them came to me. The cleaning lady, Beth I hired her and she figured things out for herself. She saw the things that I had purchased, the renovations that were going on, she saw them first hand."

His nerves calming, Connors hold on her relaxes. "I just hope ye know what'you're doing gurl."

Her hands leave his arms and clasp his face. "Don't worry. Ed helped me with everything." A warm smile plays across her face. "Plus having someone to help clean up that won't ask questions is very handy. And a doctor friend. Trust me, that will come in handy I'm positive of that for sure."

Murphy takes a long inhale on his cigarette. "Well, ye don't have t'ah worry about that none for a while."

Connor pulls Chrissy's hands from his face. "Aye, looks like we will be hangin around inside for quite sometime." His eyes linger to the windows longing for outside.

Chrissy jumps to her feet and claps her hands together, almost giving the twins a heart attack. She's rewarded with a 'Jesus' escaping both of their lips.

"I thought you two might be a bit down with your situation..." She chirps.

"It's barely a situation and more of a sentence." Murph coughs out.

"Aye, even imprisonement." Connor snorts.

She ignores them and continues with what she was saying. "So I invited my friend Val to come over and figured we'd all play pool, watch movies, eat pizza and get drunk."

Murph smirks, letting the smoke drift from the corner of his mouth, knowing how much this must be irking his brother. "Thought'ye said know one else knew about us." He glances to his twin.

"She's the doctors daughter I told you about." Placing her hands on her hips, she gazes from one man to the other. "You guys have to trust me, she's of no threat. It's ok. Really. You'll like her." Again she sits on the sofa. "Just promise me that you boys will be on your best behaviour."

A grin spreads across Murphy's face. "Hey it's not me ye have t'ah worry about. It's me half wit brother here that might need a lesson in being polite."

"Oh shut yer fuckin trap." Connor leans over the table and slaps his brother on the side of the head. "I know exactly what'yer fuckin talkin about and that wasn't no fuckin gurl!"

Stunned, Chrissy sits back her hands up in disbelief. "Whatever boys. Just be good."

"We will." Connor agrees.

"Aye." Murphy smiles.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : I know it's been a while since I've updated, but wow I've been busy. Oh and by the way, I finally got to see BDS 2 In theatres the other night. AWESOMENESS!! I will not spoil it for any of you who haven't seen it yet.**

**Disclaimer :BOOOO!**

**Chapter 5**

Chrissy opens her double doors and greets her friend Val. "It's so good to see you!" The two women hug tightly.

Although they are obviously two very different people, both women are very much the same. They both have light colored skin, they both have bright brown eyes. They stand at similar height and weight and seem to have the same taste in clothing. Both women have a thirst for knowledge and strive to succeed in whatever it is they do.

There are a few noticeable differences though, for example where Chrissy has long dark wavy flowing hair, Val has shoulder length blond straight hair. Chrissy is calm and playful, while Val is a blunt and to the point kind of gal that loves to have a good time.

Valery pulls back and looks at her friends battered face. "Oh my." She tucks a strand of Chrissy's hair behind her ear. "You know, I heard the words when you were talking to me on the phone, I just...I just didn't think it was this bad."

"It's not that bad." Chrissy smiles. "It just looks that way."

"Are you alright? I mean up here?" She taps her friends on the forehead.

Chrissy pushes Val's finger away. "Oh stop that. I'm fine."

Valery crosses her arms and gives her that 'I don't believe you for a second' stare. "Uh huh..."

"Really." The dark haired woman rolls her eyes. "Now come on, I know you're just dying to meet my boys." Chrissy grabs her friend by the hand and starts leading her to the living room. Suddenly she stops and turns on her heel. "Oh, but I didn't explain to them any of the...well you know, your past. I figured I would let you do that in your own time." She smiles warmly at the other woman.

"That's fine." The other woman smiles back.

"Okay, lets get your bags up to your room and get you introduced shall we?" Valery takes a deep breath and nods. Chrissy continues leading the way to the living room. "Guys, I want you to meet my good friend. Valery Masters."

Both brothers put down their beer and rise to shake hands with this new visitor.

"This is Murphy." Chrissy gestures to the man with the darker colored hair.

"Nice t'ah meet'ye Miss Masters." He rubs his palms on his jeans and shakes her hand gently.

"Please, call me Val." She smiles warmly.

Chrissy waves over the other brother. "And this is Connor."

He nods in her direction and then shakes her hand. "Aye, any friend of Chrissy's here is a friend of ours."

At once she finds herself at ease around the twins, something she's never felt instantaneously with anyone else other then Chrissy. "Thank-you."

*~*~*~*~*~

Hours later, the twins find themselves eating pizza and still drinking beer in the kitchen, while the girls continue drinking and playing pool in the entertainment room. Connor takes another swig of his drink and glances down the hall. His attention returns to his brother.

"So what do ye make of Chrissy's friend?" He pulls out another piece of pizza from one of the boxes on the counter.

"She seems harmless." Murph lights two cigarettes and passes one to his brother. "Chrissy said that Val would be staying here for a while."

Connor, his weight swaying a bit steadies himself against the counter and looks at his twin, his brow making a questioning frown. Murph in return shrugs his shoulders, he too trying to steady his body by leaning against the counter further.

Taking an inhale of his Malboro, Connor stares down the hall, as if lost in thought.

"There's a reason Chrissy trusts her." Murph takes a swig of his beer and then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He places the can back down with an unintentional loud clang. He gives it a punishing stare and hushes it, complete with an index finger up to his lips.

"Aye. I just want to know how she knows about'us." Connor exhales and lets the smoke in his lunges free.

Again all Murphy has to offer is another shrug of his shoulders. His blue eyes follow the form of his brother as he tries to make it from the edge of the counter where they were leaning to the hall. He laughs letting out a little cloud of smoke of his own. "Ye alright there Conn?"

"Aye, just a wee bit tipsy." Connor places a hand firmly against the wall to his right. "Shite, how much did we drink?" His head wips around when he hears a sudden thump. "Murph? Jesus..." He begins laughing, the site of his twin too much to bare.

Murphy lies on the floor next to the counter where they hand been standing, cigarette still in his mouth, beer securely clenched in his hand. "And I didn't spill one fuckin drop!"

Both men begin laughing loudly. Connor is still leaning against the wall trying to make the room stop spinning and Murphy is still laying on the floor trying to somehow get the alcohol to his mouth without spilling it.

Hearing the commotion from the kitchen, the two women put down their cues and stop their conversation. They stare at each other as if waiting to hear another sound. Silence. They decide it's best if they investigate and see what those two men are up to.

Chrissy walks down the hall, feeling a little off balance. She's about to enter the kitchen when she notices Connor leaning against the wall with his head resting on his arms. Her eyes search for her female friend. "Hey are you coming?" She sees Valery making her way with her back against the wall slowly gliding down the hall. "Are you alright?" She giggles.

Valery waves her off. "Yeah, yeah. Fine. Just..." She lets out a puff of air, as if trying to hold back vomit. "Peachy." She sets her hands against the wall and pushes herself away from it. "Ok, I'm on my way."

Chrissy exhales deeply, trying to catch her breath after laughing so hard at the site of her friends so utterly smashed. She makes her way to Connors side and snakes an arm around his waist in an attempt to steady herself and to help him. "Hey where's your brother?" She asks in between breaths and laughs.

Connor doesn't move his face from the wall, he just points to the floor near the island in the kitchen and starts laughing again. Crimson slowly makes its way up his neck from his shirt to his cheeks.

"You guys have been laughing so hard you're turning colors." Finding his laughter contagious she begins a fit of giggles again.

Valery enters the kitchen supporting her weight against the same wall that Chrissy and Connor are favoring. "Hey, where's the other one?"

Connor and Chrissy both point to the floor in the kitchen laughing hysterically. Val finding it hard to focus being intoxicated, blinks hard and then follows the direction in which they are pointing. On the floor her eyes meet a humerus disaster. Murphy is still lying on the floor, pizza slices lie scattered over and around him, his hair is soaked, seeing the empty beer can beside him, she too falls into a fit of laughter.

"Ah fuck all of ye." Murph flips them off from the floor, rests his head on the tiles and takes a drag from his cigarette.

"Alright." Chrissy takes in a deep breath. "I'm going to help Connor up the stairs. Think you can scrape that one off the floor?" She gestures towards the fallen twin with her chin.

Valery smiles, pushes herself from the wall again and heads towards the other MacManus brother. "Yeah..." She stumbles towards him. "I think."

"Just great. Send me the wobbly one." Murph watches as she makes her way towards him. "This is going to end bad."

Connor wraps an arm around Chrissy's shoulder and sets his free hand against the wall to support his weight. "Ah shut it Murph. She should just leave yer arse there."

*~*~*~*~*~

Somehow they all manage to make it through the living room without breaking a single thing. Laughing loudly they all bump into each other trying to make their way to the stairs.

The dreaded stairs.

All four sets of eyes fall onto the first footstep and the laughter stops. Looking up at the monster of a climb they have before them, a wave of nausea seems to set in. The higher the steps go the more the room seems to spin.

"Christ." Connor steadies his head. "It feels like we're on a ship as it'is. How the hell are we suppose to get up that?" Again his head bobs slowly from side to side, his focus now gone.

Murphy attempts the first step and fails, landing hard on one knee. "Mount fuckin Everest." He begins climbing.

The blond woman is at his side grabbing at his arm trying to hoist him up. "Come on, I'll grab the rail..." She gestures for him to use the wall for support.

Chrissy nods and takes hold of the other twins arm. "Our turn." Grabbing the rail for support she nudges Connor to move. "Lets go."

Making it to the top, all four bodies crash to the floor with a heavy thud. Again, laughter is sent throughout the condo.

"Well, this is my stop." Valery points to the first door. "I'd help you guys a little further..." A fuzzy burp makes its way from her throat to her mouth. She dashes into her room, past the bed and straight to the bathroom.

"Hey, you ok?" Chrissy calls out. She can hear fluid hitting fluid and the muffle sounds of discontent.

"Fine. Just needed to puke." Her body now satisfied, Val plops herself onto her mattress. "I'll be better once I sleep."

Chrissy kisses each of the twins forehead and starts off towards her room. "Night my boys."

"G'night." Murphy huffs out.

"Don't vomit all over everything." She warns over her shoulder.

"We don't get sick." Connor informs. "Just tipsy."

Murph comes to a full stand and holds out a hand to his still seated brother. "Get the fuck up."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Hello?" Chrissy answers her phone with a mumbled voice. "What time?" Her eyes search for the time, 7:24 AM. "At ten in the morning? Why so late? I thought cops like to show up early." She forces herself to roll onto her back. "Right. I'll make sure that they are upstairs when they get here." Her free hand shields her eyes from the morning sunlight. "You told Ed about everything already? You've really out done yourself this time Smecker." Chrissy smiles knowing she won't have to go over all the details with her head security guard. "Ok. I will let them know. Thanks. Take care."

Knowing that if she continues to lie in her bed that she'd just fall back asleep, she tosses off the covers. She sighs and leaves the comfort of her bedding. She makes her way down the hall and stops at the brothers door. Seeing that it's open she lets herself in.

Connor is still in bed, sleeping soundlessly on his stomach. Hearing the roar of water, she concludes that Murphy is in the shower. Delicately, she peels back the sleeping twins sheet and crawls in beside him. She rests her head between his shoulder blades, wraps her arm around his torso and allows her eyes to close. His long, deep breaths become hypnotic.

"Chrissy." Murphy shakes her shoulder lightly.

The skin of her cheek slowly peels from what feels like more skin. Confused, she stares down to see just that. "Guess I fell asleep." She yawns and stretches her aching body.

Connor rolls to his back. "Ye call that sleepin? Dead weight more like it." He sits and rolls his head from side to side, his neck responds with a few cracks and pops.

Murphy sits at the edge of the bed smirking. "So what'ye doing creepin into our room while we're both naked?"

"I was just coming to tell you that Smecker...Hold on a minute. What?" Baffled, she turns her attention back to the darker haired twin.

"That's right. I was in the shower." Murphy states. "And me brother here is sleeping in the buff." He chuckles. "So, it's obvious..."

As if something had bit her, she jumps from the covers. "What the hell? You sleep nude?"

"Not all the time love. Just when we're too damn intoxicated to think of findin somethin to sleep in." Connor begins lighting a cigarette. "Plus I hear knockin is helpful these days." Both men begin laughing.

"Wow you people sure are chipper in the A.M." A blond haired woman walks into the room rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah, well watch it. These guys like to prance around nude." Chrissy puffs out, crossing her arms.

"Really?" Val raises a brow. "And that's a problem why?" She's rewarded with a smack to the shoulder.

"Come on you three. Smecker said the cops would be here around ten. I want to make sure these two strippers know how to use the B.S.R." Chrissy makes her way back to her bedroom.

"The what?" Murph asks.

"The Big Secret Room." Valery answers leaving the room.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Well it's 9:30 and still no sign of the men in blue." Val stirs at her second cup of coffee. "Maybe they're not coming."

Chrissy's downs a Tylenol with some water. "When Smecker says something will happen, it'll happen. Trust me."

As if on cue, the intercom in the kitchen begins beeping. Holding down the green button, Chrissy answers. "Yes?"

"Good morning Miss Chambours. There are a few officers here that would like to speak with you."

"Thank-you Mr. Gibbons, send them right up." Chrissy nods to her friends. "Ok. Lets hope this goes well."

"Ye'll be fine." Murph nudges her as he passes by. "We're going up the second set of stairs."

"Plus, we can see everythin from the cameras." Connor smiles warmly. "They're expectin ye to be all nervous and jumpy. Ye just got attacked by a bunch of men."

The twins make their way to the B.S.R. The two woman wait in the living room taking deep breaths, both staring at each other. The door bell rings and they nearly jump out of their skin.

"Moment of truth." Valery drags her fingers through her hair.

"More like moment of lieying through my teeth." Chrissy straightens out her clothes and heads for the doors. She glances through the peep hole. Not because she doesn't know who is there, just because she wants to give herself that extra second to collect her thoughts. She can see that there are only two, an average height young man, and a shorter older man.

"Hello officers." Her lips quiver.

"Ma'am." The younger man nods.

"Please come in." She moves aside and allows them to enter and then leads them to the living room. "This is my friend Valery Masters."

Again the younger of the two men is the only one to nod. "Good morning."

Feeling uneasy, she finds herself talking again. "Can I offer you gentlemen anything to drink?"

This time it's the older officer that speaks. "No thanks. We're just here to ask you a few questions."

"Questions?" She tries her best to act surprised.

"Come on now. You must know that we found evidence of you being at a crime scene. You can answer now or back at the station. It's up to you."

She settles herself onto the sofa.

The younger cop flips open a pad and takes a pen from his pocket. "Now, how about you tell us how you managed to get those bruises and cuts on your face."

Instinctively her fingers go for the marking on her left cheek. "I...I got tossed around at my hotel."

"So you know why we are here then." He jots down a few notes on his paper.

"Because of the broken door?" She does her best to sound confused. "Listen I didn't break it, they did. Why should that be my problem?'

The older man takes a few feet forward. "Hold on a second. What are you talking about?"

"The door, they busted when they came in." She replies. "I had a few days left before they took over the ownership of that building. I was packing the rest of my things when they broke the front door."

The two officers pass a look between them and then continue listening to her story.

"They were yelling, saying something about me tress passing and how I should be punished. So they slapped me around and said that if they saw me there again that...that would be the end of me." She feels the memories of the actual abuse flooding her mind. Valery feeling her tension clasps her fingers around Chrissy's hand.

The younger man snaps his gum and raises his brow. "And you didn't call the cops because?"

"Because they're mob." She didn't need to say anything else to explain. "That's why Valery is here. I was, still am scared."

"Great." The older man sighs, removing his hat to rub at his balding head. "So I guest a testimony in court is out of the question."

The silence is his answer.

"Well, we will be in contact if we have anymore questions." The young officer flips his pad close while studying his partner, as if confused to why he wasn't saying anything about the murder. "You ladies have a good day."

"Thank-you officers." Valery follows them to the door. "We will call you if she thinks of anything else."

The two men nod and leave. Valery runs from the door back to the sofa. She kneels in front of her friend pushing the dark strands from her face.

"Sweetie, you ok?" Val keeps pushing back the stubborn locks of hair.

Chrissy grabs hold of her friends frantic hands. "I'm fine." She leans forward, resting her forehead against Val's. "I'm just glad that part's over with." She closes her eyes and smiles.

"Are we interuptin somethin?" Murph asks placing himself on the sofa chair.

Chrissy rolls her eyes. "It went fine. I think they bought it." She exhales a breath that feels like it's been there forever.

"Why shouldn't they? It's mostly true." Valery points out.

"Aye. Mostly." Connor repeats, deep in thought staring at the dark haired woman in front of him.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N : Wow it's been months since I've actually added a chapter. But you know how it is ;) I hope that this chapter will make up for my 'absence' with this story. I've noticed that my *'s haven't been appearing to show differences between time. I hope until I find a better solutiong to show time, that ppl don't get too confused. Ty for patience btw :)**

_Disclaimer : Once again, it's my displeasure to announce that I don't own anything BDS other then the dvds...booo!_

**Chapter 6**

Two days have passed since the cops showed up at Chrissy's home, with no call from Smecker. No call is a good sign, right? The night is cold and stormy, rain once again beats against the tall living room windows. The only source of light seems to be coming from the fireplace and the Plasma tv rest on the wall just above it.

Chrissy sits snuggled between her two boys on the soft sofa and Valery lies sleeping on the opposite one. Everyone seems to be in a slumbersome mood, she really couldn't blame anyone. Not with their 'Smecker Curfew' and all that's been happening, or not happening for that matter. The rain, lack of activity and no venturing outside hasn't helped any ones state.

"I think yer friend is asleep." Connor nudges Chrissy's leg with his own. "Should we waker'er or..." He looks over to Val and then back to his friend.

"Aye, I'd feel bad leaving'er there. She'll wake up sore. Not tah mention it's fucking cold in here." Murph puffs out the last of his smoke and then ashes it in the tray.

Chrissy sighs, not because she's annoyed, but because she's exhausted. All this not doing anything has gotten to all of them, and for some reason, seams very tyring. "Fine, I'll wake her."

Connor gives his twin a quick glance and then looks back to Chrissy. In that instant Murphy gets up from his spot and heads over to Val. "Ah, don't worry about'it. I'll wake her."

Lightly, he shakes the blond haired woman's shoulder. "Aye, ye really should be heading ta bed now." Val opens her eyes to a smiling twin offering her a hand. "I'll escort'ye." She nods accepting his hand. Murph glances over his shoulder to look at his brother who also gives him a nod. The pair heads up the stairs.

Chrissy lays her head back against the couch and exhales loudly. "What, Connor?"

"What'yer whating me for?" He leans forward takes a cigarette from his pack and lights it.

"I know how you both work, you know. Even if I'm not a twin with your little mind link thingy." She chuckles. "I know you purposely sent him away with her for a reason." She positions herself on the sofa so that her back is not bugging her as much. "And don't give me that 'I did no such thing' bullshit either." Again she finds herself laughing.

The light haired twin raises his shoulders slightly and shakes his head with a confused look. "Aye I did no such ting." He gives her a lop sided smile and starts twirling his zippo with his right index.

Placing her hair behind her ear, Chrissy sits forward, staring at the spinning object. "Connor..."

He takes another puff of his cig and keeps spinning his lighter. "Listen. It's just, well..." She hears him clear his throat. "We're worried. Ye know."

Her brown eyes search the side of his face for clues. "About what? Being found out? Or those guys coming here? Because..." She pushes the strands of hair behind her ear again.

"Nah, it's not that." The zippo stops spinning and he turns and looks at her. "The other night...ye need to tell us."

Her eyes grow dark. Remembrance, hatred for those men, despair, fear.

His breath is close, eyes serious, brow twisted with concern. "What'if you need medical help." A warm hand reaches her shoulder. "What'if they...hurt'ye...bad, or gave ye something you need meds for." He huffs out lowering his head in shame. "I'm sorry lass, I really am. I didn't want to say anythin that would bring up them memories for ye. But ye need to understand that we're worried for'ye...and we don't know the details of what happened to ye before..." His eyes can't seem to look a hers now, for fear of what she must think of them, of him. "...before we got there."

"Chrissy?" Courage returning to him, he steals a quick look at her. Her eyes haven't left the zippo. Unable to fight the urge, his eyes follow the direction she's looking to. "Chrissy?" He jerks her shoulder lightly.

"They didn't do anthing like that." Her words come out in a whisper. "I was...they just..." Her body quivers.

"Take yer time." Connor leaves the distance between them, hoping that a bit of room will allow her to speak.

"I was their play thing, you know." Her deep brown eyes now find solace while looking at the fireplace. "Their amusement. Once throwing me around wasn't fun anymore, I was tied up. I think, in the beginning, their plan was to rape me. But once they strung me up the smaller guy got close and said he wouldn't put anything of his in something that was probably spoiled by the Saints. The biggest guy, tried kissing me, but I didn't let it happen." She smiles, remembering her one moment of satisfaction, seeing the man feeling horribly rejected.

"But it's the fact knowing that it almost happened, knowing that if you guys hadn't of shown up when you did...that they might have changed their minds..." She sniffles back a few tears and wraps her arms around herself. "Thank you." Her voice full of appreciation. "Thank you." Her eyes close and she allows a few tears to roll down her cheek.

Connor quickly puts out his Malboro and pulls her to his chest. "Come 'ere." He cradles her lovingly resting his chin on the top of her head. "I'm sorry for all ye've been through because of us two jack asses. I really am."

"Connor, it's not..." She begins to move and protess against his words.

"Aye, stay still. Of course it's our fault. Don't worry none about it." He stills her with his arms and squeezes kindly. "I'm just glad to know what all happened. And to be honest, relieved." He delicately kisses her head.

"You two must of be going crazy." Chrissy begins to allow her body to relax against his own. "I'm sorry."

"Aye, we were. But like I said, don't worry none." He leans back against the couch, Chrissy still in his arms. "We'll do whatever it is we can to prevent anythin like that again." Tiny arms squeeze his ribs.

"Connor?" A set of eyes stair at his own. "What's Murphy doing with Val?"

"He's suppose to have a chat with'er..." He rolls his eyes and leans back a bit more. "Jesus, that better be all he's doing with'er. Or I'll kick his arse!"

"You didn't really wake me up to make I went to bed, did you?" Valery sits at the edge of her bed, playing with her strands of blonde hair. She lifts a brow in the direction of the other twin standing in her room. "He wants to talk with Chrissy, doesn't he?"

"Ah, yeah. I guess you can say that." Suddenly, the paintings hung on the wall are interesting to Murph, he strokes his fingers along his chin trying to look deep in thought about the art.

"So why send us away? And do you guys actually think we don't know what's going on?" She makes her way from the bed slowly towards him, still playing with her hair. Murph takes a side glance at her, and moves slightly to his left.

"Well..." He clears his throat deeply. "He seems to be the one out of the both of us to get through to'er." He takes another step to the side. "And we thought ye two wouldn't catch on, sorry." He turns to look at Val and realizes that she's close, really close. He takes a few steps around her and heads to the door.

Murph's about to open the door, when Valery pushes it shut. "Do you think it will work?"

A bit shocked at her actions, the darker haired twin stares at this woman blocking his exit. "What?"

She sighs and moves a little closer. "Do you think Connor talking to Chrissy will get her to talk about what happened?"

"Aye." He begins to bite at his lower lip.

"So what do we do while we are waiting for them to be done talking?" She wiggles her brow seductively and moves a little closer to him.

_Thud._

His back hits the wall, he turns his head nervously from side to side. "Uh...I..."

_A knock on the door._

"Thank the lord." Murphy exhales.

"Val. I know he's in there, stop torchering the poor man." Chrissy's voice rings out from the other side.

"Alright, alright." The blond woman moves away from the mortified twin smiling and opens the door for her friend. "They thought they could fool us, so I was just having some fun." She chimes.

"Uh huh..." Chrissy stands before them, her arms cross. "You mister, and your brother, not as clever as you both thought. And you." She points a finger at her woman friend.

"Me?" Val pretends to be surprised.

"Yes you. No terrorizing my boys." She laughs.

Valery rolls her eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it. Sheesh."

"So ye think she was tellin ye the truth?" Murph begins climbing into bed.

"Aye. The look in her eyes. It'was the truth alright." Connor relaxes the back of his head against his arms.

"She seems..." Murph can't seem to find the right words for what he wants to say.

"At ease?" Connor turns his head to see his brother.

"Aye, at ease now." Murph smiles. "At least I think I'll be able to sleep now, fuck that was really botherin me."

"I know. Me too." Connors eyes search the ceiling. "Did ye get any info out of that blond lass? She seems..."

"Feisty. Aye. But no. She didn't tell me nothing. We didn't get that far." Murphy adjusts the pillow behind his head. "She's off her rocker that one."

"I wonder why Chrissy never told us about how Val knows about us. The gurl seems nice enough." Connor sits up and rubs his eyes. "I'm sure they'll tell us, but I would like to know all the same."

"Fuck! Stop worrying about'it. Get some sleep would ye fer fuck sakes." A pillow is launched in the directions of the lighter haired twin.

"Don't 'ye fuckin start with that!"

"That's everything." Chrissy stares down at her manicured nails. "Honestly."

"I believe you hun." The other woman gives her friend a tight hug. "I'm glad he was able to get you to talk. You must feel better now, you know getting that off your chest."

Chrissy sighs and lets her body fall back against her bed. "Actually yeah. I do." She hides her face with her palms. "Val, to know what Connor and Murphy were thinking all this time. I just couldn't bare to let them carry guilt or thoughts like that. The hurt in their faces. It was too much."

"You really do love them, don't you?" Val plops down beside her dark haired friend.

"Of course." Chirssy admits without a thought and turns to face the other woman. "Don't you after knowing what they did for you and your family? And after being here with them?"

Sheepishly, Val agrees by nodding. "Of course." She too smiles.

"Now off you go, get to bed. " Chrissy laughs.

"Yes mother." Val scoots off towards the door.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?"

"See you in the A.M." The blond haired woman leaves closing the light and the door behind her.

"Chrissy wake up." She hears Murph's voice. "Wake up Chrissy."

"What? Why?" Shielding her eyes from the onslaught of sun, she begins sitting. "What's going on?"

"Sorry, lass. But we got to go." Murph kisses her forehead gently and stands to his full height.

"Go? Where we going?" Chrissy pulls her hair back and ties it with an elastic band. "What time is it?"

Murphy looks to his brother and then sits on the bed. Connor, who's been looking out the window the entire time, doesn't move or look away. "Ye're staying here. Me and me brother got something to do."

Her eyes search the room and their faces for answers. "What are you saying? I don't understand. Smecker said..."

Murph places a hand on her knee. "He's downstairs. He needs us to do something."

She knows this tone in their voices. Knows that they never give full details when they have 'special jobs' to do. They think it keeps her safe, keeps her from worrying. It never stops her from worrying, that's one thing they always get wrong.

Connor steps away from the window, but doesn't look at her, instead he chooses to look at the floor. "We know how much you hate it when we leave." His eyes meet her own.

"But we always come home." Trying to comfort her Murphy offers her a bright smile.

Briskly she rises from her bed and starts pacing back and forwards. "Here she goes." Murphs head lowers.

She points an angry finger at both of them. "You better both come back here! Alive! You better keep in touch and let me know what the hell is going on!"

Connor takes a few steps forwards his hands up in surrender. "We will, we will."

A little more angry, her eyes begin to turn red. "If you two die, what am I suppose to tell your dad? Huh? Don't do anything stupid!"

Now it's Murphy's turn to make his way to her. "Hey calm down woman. Yer hysterical."

"Damn strait I am!" She places her hands on her hips, lick her lips, as if trying to find words to scold them more. Her eyes begin to redden more and start to form tears. "If you boys don't come back, I don't know what I would do."

Both boys are at either of her side holding her in a hug. Her chin rests on both of their shoulders and tears make their way down the twins jackets. "Promise me you'll both come back." She grips the back of their necks holding them closer. "Promise me." She whispers.

"We promise."

"What?" Chrissy's voice is shaken. Valery is at her side trying to console her, but Chrissy just brushes her off, trying to hear what Smecker is saying on the other end of the phone.

"Where are they?" She jots down a few things on a piece of paper and is nodding as if the agent can see her. "Right. Right. Now you listen to me. Dr. Masters has a hidden room in the back of his practice just for them. Remember?" Again, she's nodding. "Smecker, get them there fast, please."

Valery is wide eyed waiting for instructions. "What's going on?"

Chrissy grabs her Raskull and begins heading upstairs. "Val, the boys need us. Get your nurse stuff together."

"Oh...Oh my god. Of course." Like an alarm has gone off, Miss Masters is off and gathering her stuff. "Please god, for Chrissy's sake, let them be ok."

"I'm sorry." Smecker tosses his cigarette aside. "There was more going on then we knew about..."

Chrissy turns swiftly in one fluid motion. She tries to remain calm. "Don't worry about the details right now, Paul. We'll go over that later. I just need to see them. If you want to help, do whatever you can to organize a way for me to get them back to my place." As if having a new sense of purpose. The F.B.I agent, nods, adjust his jacket and heads in the opposite direction.

She takes a deep breath and walks around back to Miss Masters fathers clinic, Valery just a few steps ahead of her. "Through here." A door opens where two seconds ago, it only seemed to be a brick wall. "This is what your money went towards. Too bad this is the first time you are seeing this place."

"Yeah, too bad." Chrissy sighs and allows her friend to lead the way.

They go down a hall and end up in a small waiting room of sorts. There are eight green chairs and a tv, even coffee. "Ok, sit here for a minute. I'll go see what's going on." Valery disappears behind two steal doors.

"Sit? Wait?" Chrissy paces the floor, biting her knuckles. "Pray. I should pray..." Firmly closes her eyes and whispers a quick 'please god please' prayer for her boys that she knows are just on the other side of those doors.

"Chrissy?" She hears Val call and turns to see her friend ushering her to come beyond the doors. "It's alright, you can see them." She's about to pass by her friend when she notices the look on her face.

"What's wrong Val? Tell me." Chrissy pleads.

"They're...alive...please just come with me." Valery leads her to another room and opens the door. "Go in, it's ok."

Chrissy does as she's told and is met with a smiling Murphy. "Chrissy!" Carefully he sits up.

"Murph! Thank god you're ok." She wraps her arms around him and he responds by doing the same but with one arm. "You're arm." She lets go of him and begins to sit down on the chair next to his bed.

"Ah this? It's nothin. Just a dislocated shoulder." He winks. "The docs got all the info for ye."

"Ok." She kisses his free hand. "Rest, ok."

He nods and lies back down onto his hospital bed. The door opens and Dr. Masters walks in. "Christine, so nice to see you again. Sorry it's not under better circumstances..."

"Not to be rude doc, but I want to know everything that's going on here." Chrissy stands and crosses her arms.

"Right." He opens a folder and starts going over Murphy's injuries with her. "Dislocated right shoulder, that was easily fixed. One gun shot wound to his outter right thigh. Also, there was no issues there. That was easily removed and taken care of. Deep gashes and slashes to his left shoulder and shoulder blade, all stitched up and cleaned." The doctor closes the folder. "He's doing just fine."

Chrissy lets out a breath she had been holding since she got there. "Thank-you." The doctor nods in her direction. "I'll be just one minute do you mind..."

"Of course not. " Dr. Masters smiles leaves the room.

"See I'm just fine." Murph exclaims. "Now go check on Connor, they haven't let me see him since we got here."

Chrissy lowers her brow. "What's wrong with your brother? I thought that..."

"Please! Check on him!" The eyes in the man in front of her begin to water. "I thought that...that they killed him back there...please."

Tears streaming down her face, she kisses Murphy on the cheek. "He'll be ok Murph..." She leaves his room and heads for his twins. Taking a deep breath, she turns the door knob and walks inside the only other patient room. The sight before her is almost too much to bear.

His bed is slightly tilted up to keep him comfortable. Attached to his face is a oxygen mask, she can hear slow deep breaths, he's asleep. The right side of his head and his left forearm are heavily bandaged. She can clearly see stitching climbing from his right hip up to the front of his naked abdomen. Instinctively, she covers her mouth with her hands and takes a few steps closer. Her ears are unable to focus on any one sound. There's beeping, and humming all over this room. Her eyes swell with tears. She places her hand on his right forearm.

"Connor?" He doesn't move, and his eyes don't open. Lightly she places a kiss on his forehead. She pulls back a little and strokes the side of his face with the back of her fingers. Tears fall from her eyes. She continues stroking his face lovingly. "Why didn't you boys just stay home?" Again she kisses his forehead.

Giving herself a moment, she leaves the room, wiping the tears from her eyes. The doctor follows her from the room, he waits for a sign to know when she's ready to hear everything he has to tell her.

"Is he..." Forcefully, she opens her eyes, awaiting the truth.

"Going to live." The doctor smiles. Chrissy returns the smile then laughs, she rests her back against the wall. "Do you want to hear the details?" She nods.

"Lets start top to bottom." He opens the somewhat thicker folder for this twin. "None serious gash to the right temple. Bullet wound, left shoulder, removed without issues, will heal fine. Left forearm, a few scrapes and bruises, mostly from broken glass. Right hip, through and through bullet wound." The doctor stops and takes a deep breath. "That one was tricky. It zig zagged in his body, and during the operation, he lost quite a bit of blood. He will recover just fine, but it will take sometime. You will have to help him with physio..."

"No problem. Val can tell me what to do." Chrissy states.

The doc nods agreeing. "Connor also had inhaled alot of fumes from the burning building. So that's why he's wearing the mask." Dr. Masters places an arm around Chrissy's shoulders. "They're going to be alright, I promise." He offers her a warm smile. "I get somethings ready to have shipped to your home so that you and Val can tend to them there."

"Thanks again. You don't know how much this means." She leans into the docs shoulder of the arm wrapped securely around her.

"Don't be ridiculous." He pulls away from her to show the sincerity in his eyes. "After what they did for me and my family. It's the least I could do. Now go and tell the other twin what's going on with his brother, before he has another tantrum." The doctor smiles and begins walking away. "And please Miss Chambours. If you need anything at all."

"Don't worry. I'll call." Chrissy heads back to Murphy's room. As soon as she opens the door, she's bombarded with questions.

"So, how is he?" The brother asks, biting at his thumb. "Is he going to..."

"He's fine Murph." She sits on the side of the hospital bed and pulls Murph to her, who doesn't respond, just lies there with her. "He's really banged up, but he'll be alright."

"This is my fault. He's lying there...because...He almost died..." Murph stops nibbling on his thumb and covers his eyes with his hand. "It should be me in that bed."

"He wasn't going to leave you there! And you know it. You would have done the same for him." She begins stroking his hair. "He'll be alright. I'm taking you boys home and I'm going to take of the both of you. Okay?"

Murphy allows himself to lean more into her supporting form. "I'll help ye. With Connor." He wipes his eyes with his free hand. "When can we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Smecker is coming to get us all tomorrow. Val's here too, she'll stay as long as I need her too." She continues stroking his hair. His eyes close, and not too long after he's sleeping. Chrissy rests the side of her face on his head and drifts off.

Biting at his thumb, Murph sits at the edge of his brothers bed, watching, waiting for those blue eyes to open. He glances over to Chrissy's form, sleeping bent over onto Connors bed, also waiting for him to wake up. He rubs his face with his free hand.

"Come on Conn..." He breathes out. "Wake up."

"It's only been a few hours since he's been home." Valery stands in the door way. "Even though he was asleep the entire time, the ride and move here probably took alot out of him. But he'll be ok."

He doesn't look at her, he just keep staring at his fallen twin.

"Come on, why don't you come downstairs and eat something..." She's interrupted.

"No. I can't. I have to be here fer when he wakes." Murphy finally looks at her. "But thank'ye."

"No problem. Tell you what, I'll get some water for when he does wake up, okay." She waits for his approval.

"Aye, that'd be nice." He turns his attention back to his brother.

Not more then a few minutes go by when Connor starts to move his legs and groan in slight pain. Regretting it as soon as he jumps, Murphy hisses with the pain that shoots through him. In seconds he's at his twins side.

"Conn...Hey...Conn." He smiles, waiting for his brother to respond.

"Murph, fuck. Oie, what the hell?" The lighter haired twin begins to move and is abruptly halted by his own brother.

"Ye can't move around too much there brother." He pushes back on his twin with his good arm. "Ye were hurt something fierce."

"Aye, don't ye fuckin think I know that? Oww..." Not putting up a fight, Connor lies back down.

"Connor?" A dozy Chrissy rubs at her tired eyes smiling. "Connor!" She makes her way to his empty bedside and starts planting kisses on his face. "You fucking ass!" She slaps his shoulder.

"Hey what the fuck? First yer smotherin me with love, now yer beating me. I'm injured here." He laughs.

"Serves you right!" She smacks him again. "You almost died..."

The air fills with dread. "Aye, I know. But I didn't." He looks up at her fear stricken face.

"But ye almost did." Murph repeats, bent over his brothers bed, almost falling. "And ye were about to leave me here..."

Connor grabs the back of his brothers neck and pulls him into an embrace "I'm fine. If I die, don't worry, I'm taking yer sorry arse with me." He ruffs the hair on Murph's head and they break apart.

"Nobody is going to die!" She slaps them both on the arms.

"Woman..." Murph warns.

"Don't you woman me! I'm always worried about you two. And this time one of you almost had the nerve to die!" Tears fall down her face. "I'm so telling your dad."

Both of the men look horrified. Their eyes wide with fear. Murph quickly makes his way round the bed trying to plead with her.

"Oh come on, don be so harsh." Murph knows somehow this news will then get to his mother. Not good.

Connor begins sitting up trying to get a hold of Chrissy's arm. "That's not a nice thing to threaten us with."

"It's not a threat." She snorts and begins laughing. Exhausted, she lies her head on the absent pillow on the bed beside Connor. "Can we sleep for once, just once would be great." She places the covers over her shoulders and can feel Murphy crawling in beside her.

"If ye hit any of our sore parts..." Murph begins.

"There'll be hell to pay woman." Connor finishes.

Connor rests finally comfortably on his back, Chrissy's pressed up against his arm, not letting go. Murph also finds a comfortable position, and wraps his good arm around Chrissy's tiny waist.

Outside the opened bedroom door Valery silently looks in. She's happy that the brothers are alright. Happy that Chrissy is doing better. For somereason, seeing them all together, seeing the love they all have for each other. She suddenly feels, a bit sad. A bit jealous.

"So there's me boys." A tall older man whispers behind her.

"Yeah, in there just like I told you." She smiles back brightly at him, and then returns her gaze back on all three sleeping forms.

The old man grabs a gentle hold of her shoulder. Her focus remains on all three of her friends. "Ye know lass, my boys love this woman a great deal. I know dat one of them...well, t'isn't for me to say." He smiles. "I just want to let ye know, that if ye so chose to continue chasing after one of them, that even in a time of his greatest need, he will go to her first."

Valery stares up at this man. Their father.

"I'm not tellin'ye this to be rude or tah chase ye off." He sighs. "He would always love ye mah dear. But these three share a bond. Stronger then love. If yer willing to put up with dat and the fact that they will never stop what it is they do. Then my dear, ye'd be a strong one indeed." The old man pats her shoulder. "No one would blame ye fer not wanting to stick around. But I'm sure he'd love it if ye decided to."

Noah pulls out a cigar and places it in his mouth. "Now love, can ye show me where and old man can get some rest?"


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N : Still having issues with finding a way to show difference in time/flash back. The (*) doesn't seem to work for me when I apply it...Oh well I will figure something out and then back track all my chapters...woah is me ;) Ok maybe I got it! I use )( to show difference in time and place. Hope that works out._

_**Disclaimer : Troy Duffy OWNS ALL! Even you!**_

**Chapter 7**

A butterfly tattooed hand places a lit cigar to a set of old lips surround by white facial hair. Mister MacManus slowly inhales the hickory flavoured fumes, as he takes a seat at the edge of the large bed where his twin sons and their friend sleep. He sighs thoughtfully, knowing full well why they continue to do what they do. For good. His brow forms a frown, knowing that in order for them continue doing what it is they do, sometimes, things like this happens. To _his_ boys.

The old man's hand reachs back to his cigar, removes it, allowing himself a minute to exhale the smoke and then returns it to his lips. His blue eyes look over the forms before him.

Murphy, somehow looks comfortable in the most uncomfortable position. His face is resting against the curve on Chrissy's left hip, while his wounded arm is lying almost completely behind himself.

Noah closes his eyes and shakes his head lightly. Like a loving father, he places a hand on Murphy's head and traces his face with his palm, down to his chin. He smiles lovingly at his darker haired twin.

Sights now land on his other son, Connor. Saddened by this broken form before him, he allows his shoulders to slump. Although, Valery had assured him that his son was now doing much better, he still felt an empty spot at the pit of his stomach. One of _his _sons had almost died yesterday and he wouldn't have been able to be there with him, to whisper words of comfort to him and their family prayer before he had passed. One of _his _sons had almost died, before their own father. This was not acceptable.

Once more he sighs. Once more he thinks, rubbing his eyes with the ends of his thumbs. _Are we bein pushed for somethin_. Eyes flash open. He smiles.

"Ah, but I'm mistaken. We are still in his blessins. The Lord didin think see it fit to be takin any of mah boys yet. T'is not their time." He smiles and rests his head back looking up at the ceiling. "Thank ye mah Lord, for not takin any of me sons away before my time. For dat, I'm grateful."

He assumes that in order for evils light to be extinguished, the good probably have to be injured at some point, even to the point of visiting the Lord himself. But in the time being, all the scrapes, and exit wounds they get, he figures, just add character. If anything, to prove to the Lord, when they arrive at the welcoming gates, that they have been hard at work and deserve some rest.

"Rest." He finds himself saying out loud. "Rest me boys." He holds both their chins in each of his hands and bows his head, saying a quiet prayer.

"Da?" Connor begins to stir a little. Confused, he tries to open his eyes and sit. Reality, he remembers pain. A groan reaches his lips. "Damn. I forgot."

Noah's hand reaches the side of his face. "How'ye doin me boy?" Again, he smiles warmly.

"Da. Ye're here. When?" Connor does the best he can to sit at attention.

Hearing voices, Murph rubs at his eyes and yawns. "What's goin on?"

"Da's here." Connor informs, then notices Chrissy still sleeping. He shakes her shoulder lightly. "Hey, Chrissy. Me arms asleep."

"Wha...? Oh, sorry." She too sits up, then stretches. Her eyes focus on the new body in front of her. Vision clearing, she realizes who it is. She springs from her knees and launches herself at the older man. "Mr. MacManus! When did you get here?"

Noah gives the woman a good squeeze and then gently pulls her from him. "It's so good to see you mah dear." He brushes some of her hair behind her ear. "I hear that ye've been taking good care of me boys."

She smiles shaking her head. "Yes. They've been good boys." Her eyes fill with tears of fondness.

"So I've heard, lass." He gives her another quick hug and then lets go. He looks them over. "Smecker called. Said he'd be here this evenin. He's gonna fill me in on everythin that's happened and so are ye boys, right?"

They nod.

"That's good. I'm sure the lass here would like to know what happened as well."

She too nods.

Murphy stands up from the bed and smiles at his father. "It's good to see ye Da."

"It sure is." Connor agrees.

)( )( )( )( )( )(

"Ok. Val said to take two of these..." Chrissy hands Connor some T3's and an extra strength Ibuprofen. "and one of those."

Connor lifts his brow in her direction. "I hate takin drugs."

"Get over it. You want to get better, faster."

"Aye." He sighs out.

"Then..." She shoves a glass of water at him. "don't argue."

Silently, he does as she says. Then swings his legs over the edge of the bed and makes his way to stand.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asks, shocked at his actions.

"Standin, and then maybe headin down the stairs." He answers wondering what the issue is.

"Connor, you were just shot through your pelvis and abdomen, not to mention your shoulder. Yesterday." She ushers him to sit back down. "Now stay."

"I've been shot before ye'know. No big deal." He admits aggravated.

"Yes, I know. Although the last few times didn't almost kill you." She pulls her hair back and ties it with an elastic from around her wrist. "An my entire place is white. If you go gallivanting around and reopen your wounds..."

Connor covers his eyes with his good forearm. "Alright, alright." He puffs out.

Chrissy takes a seat beside him on the bed giggling. "It's your own fault you know. Sides, I'll be starting physio with you tomorrow, ok?"

He peaks out at her with one eye from the crook of his arm. "Say what'now?"

"Don't start with me Connor. You can barely walk or move that injured shoulder of yours. You're Irish, not invincible." She begins laughing, knowing that he's to stubborn or to proud to ask or even want help. She can hear him grunt under his arm. Still chuckling, she places a kiss on his exposed forehead. "I'll check on you later."

She can hear him let out a deep exhale as she closes the door behind her. Feeling a bit guilty, she stops at the top of the stairs and looks back at the twins bedroom door. "It's his own damn fault." She justifies and heads back down the stairs, still feeling bad.

"It's not entirely just his fault." Murphy comments. He stands looking out the window, his back to Chrissy, chewing at his thumb.

"No, your right. It's not." She makes her way towards him, then slaps the darker haired twin in his non injured shoulder. "You're both dumb asses."

"Hey. Enough with the abuse already." He grins. "Ye're so violent these days. I think we've rubbed off on ye too much."

)( )( )( )( )( )(

"So it was just suppose to be in and out. Five guys, seven tops." The FBI agent sits in a sofa chair in the twins bedroom, trying to explain to Noah and Chrissy what had happened the day before.

Noah sits in the opposite chair, relaxed, smoking a cigar. While Murph stands in the corner leaning against the wall next to the window, arms crossed best they can be in a sling. Chrissy sits at the edge of Connors bed, listening attentively to Paul Smecker.

Smecker takes a drag of his cigarette. "Let me try to explain it like this. We had gotten word that the Japanese were slowly moving their business into town. Now according to our sources, there was only suppose to be cash, drugs and a few mob men there." He takes another inhale of his cig. "Turns out that wasn't the case."

"So what happened?" Chrissy askes confused. "Why was your information so wrong this time?"

"It's not that his info was wrong, it's that it changed the second we go there." Murph begins to explain.

Smecker nods. "Meth." He shakes his head. "They had a damn meth lab set up. As the boys got there, to do their thing, a cargo was being delivered."

"Ye'll never guess what'was in it." Connor frowns.

"Girls. Women." Paul puffs out between his fumes.

"What?" Chrissy is totally lost. Why would this be so important.

"Slaves. For the street." Smecker runs a hand through his hair. "They kidnap these girls when they are very young. Pop them up on dope, them bring them all over the world as sex slaves. Prostitutes. Sick fucks."

Connor clears his throat. "The mob places them in warehouses and apartment buildings they buy out. Then through word of mouth, or Internet advertising, they sell'em or worse..."

"Dear Lord." Chrissy's hands cover her mouth.

Smecker ashes out his smoke in the tray on the end table in front of him. "So, the boys get there and see them unloading all these women and girls, about sixty of them in total. And they know they can't just go off shooting all the mob guys there now, cause they might use one of these girls as a shield."

"Aye, the bastards. So we had to think quick..." Murph explains.

)( )( )( )( )( )(

_The day before, somewhere in Boston._

Connor ducks down behind some crates, his face still covered behind his black mask, but his eyes show all the emotion that he's definitely feeling. He turns and looks at his brother, who has the same thing written in his eyes.

"This is goin to be a delicate operation me brother." Connor takes a deep breath.

"Aye. I say we do this quiet and quick, then get Smecker in here fast." Murph glances over his shoulder quickly. "I'll go right..."

"I don't like the idea of..." Connor can feel his heart racing and knows that his brother's is doing the same.

"Aye, me either. But what the fuck are we suppose to do? Ye know they will use the gurls." Murph clicks the safety off on his gun.

"Alright. But don't get killed in the prosess." Connor bumps his forehead lightly against his twins.

In that moment, they swear they can hear their Da's voice. "_And I shall count thee among my favored sheep, and you shall have the protection of all the Angels in Heaven."_

They give each other a reassuring nod and head in opposite directions.

Crouching, Murph slowly creeps around the big Semi. He makes his way to the drivers door, opens it quickly and dispatches one bullet into the drivers head without barely making a sound, the motor still running covers the left over noise from his silencer. He closes the door carefully and makes his way to the back of the truck.

Making his way to the little office, Connor hides in the shadows. The door opens and a Japanese man walks out, Connor hides behind the opened door and waits. The mobster closes the door to see Connor standing behind it, but it's too late. Before the man can say anything he has a knife in his throat, his hands try to cover the gushing wound in his wind pipe. Connor grabs the man by the collar, drags him behind a near by crate and shoots him in the head. Within seconds he's back at the office. He opens the door and creeps up behind a man on the phone. As soon as the man puts the receiver down, Connor shoots him in the back of the head.

Murphy decides to head over towards what looks like a chemistry lab to get a closer look at the thing. He can see that his brother has had the same idea from the far side of the building. His eyes shift back to the men in the lab, taking a quick head count of twelve. "Fuck."

"What the fuck?" Connor sees that there are definitely a hell of a lot more men then they were expecting. But now is not the time to back out. There's already a body count, someones bound to notice, soon. He glances over to his twin and sees Murph pull the hammer back. He nods. Show time.

Both twins push back the heavy plastic to the room, shooting whoever comes in their path. One of the lab techs get a bullet to the knee cap and falls, hitting a container holding some kind of unknown chemical to Connor, it spills over next to an open flame and catches fire.

"Shit!" Connor can see the fire spreading wildly. His mind knows this is bad. A chem lab, full of things he doesn't recognize, can only mean one thing. Boom, and soon. "Murph!" Connor points out the quickly spreading fire.

The boys let out a couple more gun shots and head for the room they saw the women being held in. On their way there, a man jumps out from a corner and lets out a shot that grazes Murphy's arm.

"Sun-a-bitch!" The force of the shot pushes him back, but he retaliates and lets out a few of his own bullets, killing the mob man.

"Murph!" Connor runs to his brother side. "Ye'alright?"

"Fuck it. I'm fine. Go!" Murph climbs to his feat and follows his brother to the room.

They open the door and let the women and girls out. Afraid, the women at first back away.

Speaking Japanese, Connor pokes his head into the room. "_It's alright. We're here to help you. The police are going to be waiting outside. Go now, this place is on fire!"_

The women make their way past the two men to the safe exit. Connor looks over to his brother and nods. "This place is going down, lets get out of here."

They make their way to the exit, when the glass ceiling collapses and shatters. Connor jumps out of the way, but sees that his brother is being covered by the broken glass. Quickly he makes his way to his twin, trying to move the debris.

"Come on! Murph!" Connor pulls at his brothers arm trying to free him of the fallen ceiling, he feels a pop and Murphy groans.

"Ouch! Ye fuck! Ye just fuckin yanked out me arm!" Murphy crawls from the glass and wood clutching his arm.

"At least yer out. Now go!" Connor ushers his brother in front of him. He hears a man yelling and then hears the whizzing of shots going by. Then one hits him in the shoulder. "Fuck!"

Murphy looks down at his fallen twin and sees blood. "Connor." He makes his way for Connor. The building begins creaking, a gush of heat and flame rise up. A pipe swings down and catches Murphy just behind his head, knocking him out cold.

"Murph!" Connor rizes to his feet. Makes his way to his brother, picks up the dropped guns and places them in his jacket. Then he hoists Murphy onto his good shoulder. With a quick exhales of air, Connor makes his way for the exit again.

A sudden feeling of searing pain. Connor looks down to his right side and sees blood pooling out down his leg. "Keep goin." He forces himself to keep moving, not just for himself, but for Murph. He ignores his injuries and presses on. His eyes start to glaze as he nears the exit and he finds it getting hard to breathe. "Move yer legs..." Connor commands himself.

)( )( )( )( )( )(

"Then we were at the hospital." Connor continues. "I don't even remember going out the door or Smecker driving me to Dr. Masters."

"He was conscious, barely. Greenly kept talking to him, trying to keep him from closing his eyes. It worked, but I doubted he would remember any of it." Paul pulls out another cigarette, lights it and takes an inhale.

"So these men, ye said they were Japanese?" Noah sits forward in his chair, his elbows resting on the arm rests.

The brothers nod.

"Interesting." The old man rolls his cigar in his mouth from one side to the other.

The room goes silent. Everyone knows that the mobs are going to be fighting each other.

"I'm sorry." The FBI agent sighs heavily.

"Paul there was no way for you to know." Chrissy places a hand on his knee. "You would have never sent them there had you've know." She offers him a sweet smile. "No one here holds you to blame. All that matters is that those women were rescued, and the boys are fine."

Still feeling liable, Smecker clears his throat, trying to hide his shame. "Yes, but they all could have been killed."

"But we weren't." Murph exclaims. "It was meant for us to go to that place."

"Aye, alot of good was done. Those gurls are on their way home right now, to be reunited with their families. And me boys, well this is part of their jobs, part of their lives. They know the risks." Noah smiles warmly at Smecker. "This is somethin we are prepared for. Granted not somethin we want to happen on a daily basis." The older man takes the cigar from his mouth. "The Lord has a plan for us. And it's not going to be over for me boys for a long time."

The twins both find themselves staring at their feet. Knowing these words their father speaks to be the truth.

)( )( )( )( )( )(

Murphy walks past the kitchen, past the entertainment room, then down a corridor to a room covered in white walls and tall glass pannels. For somereason, since his experience just a few days ago, glass makes him nervous, specially this much of it. He heads to a closet and pulls out a few towels. He glances around and realizes how big this room really is. It's covered with plants and sun rays everywhere, but not to the point where you would need sunglasses. In the middle of the room, built right into the floor is an enormous hot tub, he himself had just used it a few hours ago, trying to relieve the pain in his shoulder.

He makes his way back up to his bedroom to help Chrissy with Connor.

"One step at a time Conn. I got a bad arm, and Chrissy weighs probably a hundred pounds." Murph grips his arm around his brothers waist and allows Connor to lean into him. "Fuck'yer heavy."

"Fuck off!" Connor laughs.

"K, wrap your arm around my shoulders and your other around Murph's." Chrissy grabs hold of his wrist and wraps her free arm around his torso. "He's right you know. You are heavy."

Connor just grunts.

Slowly the three make their way down the stairs. Reaching the final three, they are greeted by Valery, who smiles mischievously at them.

"Hey, you should help." Chrissy laughs.

"Nah, I got a better idea." Valery sways her hips from side to side and smiles.

"What did you do?" Chrissy smirks.

"Oh nothing...yet." Valery pulls out a digital camera that she had been hiding behind her back, and starts taking pictures of the comical trio infront of her as they try to get down the remaining stairs.

"Yer fuckin hilarious." Connor spits out. "Just ye'wait!"

"Uh huh. Pardon me if I don't sound the least bit scared." Having her fill of fun, she places the camera on the coffee table and follows behind them. "So remember Chrissy, just twenty minutes today. Then maybe a bit longer in a few days."

"Yep, no problem." Chrissy huffs out, already sounding exhausted. "You'll be fine with this one after?"

"Don't worry. I won't hurt him." Val giggles.

Murph glances over his shoulder quickly at her, offering a nervous smile. Then he looks back in front of him and whispers low enough for Connor to hear. "She's going to kill me. I know it."

"Nah. She probably just wants ye alone so that she can have her way with ye." Connor chuckles.

"Would you both shut up!" Chrissy joins in the whispers. "You're both big babies. It's just a bit of therapy to help him with his shoulder. You act like it's a death sentence."

"We'll heal just fine. We don't need all this..." Connor begins.

"Oh shut it. You won't be saying that when your in your fifties and everything hurts or just stops working." Chrissy informs. "Yes I mean everything."

Both men look down to their lower halves and swallow hard. Chrissy begins a fit of laughter. Now determined to continue with this new form of torture, the boys press forwards.

They reach the spa room and all three let out a sigh of relief. Chrissy and Murph gently ease Connor onto a bench near the tub that's already flowing with warm water.

"Looks...uhmm..."Connor looks over the gigantic hot tub nervously. It's not that he's afraid of water. He's just nervous about this much water in his current state. He's not exactly sure how well he can do being this damaged.

"Don't worry. I already tried it out. T'is not so bad. Wee bit hot at first, but then it's alright." Murph pats his brother on the back. "It'll help ye. And Chrissy will be here with ye."

Connor swallows, his fate in the arms of tiny hundred and something pound woman, nerve racking. "I'm going to die." He says utterly blank.

Murph chuckles and again pats his brother on the back. "Ye'll be fine."

Chrissy removes the robe that she was wearing to reveal her bright red and black bikiny. "Well you don't have swim gear. So off with the clothes. Down to your trunks." She crosses her arms. "Oh please, not like I haven't seen you boys in your birthday suits before."

Murph chuckles even louder seeing the nervous look on his brothers face. Connor looks up at his brother, with his brow in a frown. "Fuck this." He tries to stand, only to have Murph shove him back down.

"You heard the lass." Murph signals with his finger for his twin to remove his shirt.

Connor begins removing his gray t-shirt. "Fuck ye."

Chrissy makes her way to the sitting twin. "I'll help him with this. Why don't you go see Val."

Murphs eyes widen and Connor can swear that his twins skin just turned a lighter color. "Ha serves ye right. Ye arse!" Connor tosses his bundled shirt at his brother. "Now git. Go on." He laughs.

"Come on Murphy. I just want you to lift some weights..." They hear Valery calling after Murph.

"I'd better..." Murph clears his throat.

"Aye, ye better!" Connor laughs again.

Murph turns on his heal, wipes his palm on his jeans, rubs the back of his neck and heads towards the beckoning voice.

"Ok. Off with the pants." Chrissy directs Connor to now pay attention to what they are doing.

"Don't even think about untying me pants. Leave me some dignity lass." Connor undoes his belt and removes his pants with much hissing. The pain from his abdomen and pelvis cause him to bend over, trying to keep the contents of his stomach down. He takes deep slow breaths.

"You alright?" Chrissy places a hand on his shoulder, trying to get a look at his face.

Connor holds up a hand to halt her from moving him too much. "I'm fine love. Just, queasy." Slowly he rises to his feet. "Alright, lets get this over with."

Chrissy makes her way into the tub and then turns and faces him. She reaches her hands up to him. "It's ok. Just go down one step at a time. If you take your time, you won't slip. If you slip, that might cause a jolt of pain to rush through you. So just take your time."

He nods and makes his way down the first step, constantly holding his injured side. He takes the time to get use to the temperature of the water, then steps down one more step. He looks down to see Chrissy smiling at him, still holding out her hand. She grabs hold of his arm and helps him down the last two steps. Now he's up to his midsection in warm water.

"I thought it was gonna be boilin hot." He admits. "I don't mind this."

"Didn't want your body to have a shock." She smiles warmly up at him. "Now come this way. Easy."

She guides him to a type of built in seating and gets him to sit down. Chrissy climbs behind him and sits on the higher seating. Her knees come up just under his arms. Connors heart starts to do a small marathon. He firmly shuts his eyes.

Feeling his anxiety, Chrissy leans forward, her hands placed on his shoulders. "Hey, it's ok. I'm not going to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable or weird. I'm just here to help you get better ok?" She lightly kisses his temple.

He nods and opens his eyes. An innocent kiss was always Chrissy's way of making anyone feel better. And it always worked.

Muscles relaxing, his shoulders begin to drop. He stretches out his neck and inhales then exhales. "I still feel a bit queasy." He lets out another deep breath.

"That's just your stomach reacting to all the meds and the not eating much lately." She straightens her back and places her hand under his left arm. "Alright, now you're going to lift your arm as high as you can. I'll help you. Just let me know when to stop."

Connor begins lifting his shoulder with great difficulty. He gets about a quarter of the way up, not even out of the water when they half to stop. He bows his head in shame.

"Hey, it's ok. I know this hurts sweetie." She readjusts herself and urges him to continue. "Three more times ok."

He nods. With a hiss between his teeth, he lifts his arm again. "Fuck."

"You're doing good. Two more times."

Again, he lifts his arm, then again. Chrissy eases his arm slowly back into the water. "Are you alright?" She begins massaging his neck with the tips of her thumbs.

"I'm...fine." He leans his head forward. "How much longer do I have to keep doin this?"

"Until you lift your arm all the way silly." Her hands make their way to between his shoulder blades. Her voice almost catches in her throat when she sees the stitches and the purple and black bruising on his shoulder blade. "Your hip will get better too. Sitting in this water will help your muscles relax."

He sighs. "I'm sorry to put all this on ye."

She stops her ministrations. Two little arms wrap around his chest from under his arms and gently pull him slightly back. Chrissy presses his torso to her. "Relax." She rests her chin on his shoulder. "Just relax. I want your back in the water."

He does as she asks and leans back.

"You know, I'd be dead many years back if it wasn't for you three." She leans her head against his cheek. "You have nothing to apologize about. We're family. And family looks out for each other."

"Aye." He pats her knee with his palm. "Although ye do more of the 'lookin after' these days." He offers her a wink with the eye he knows she can see and she giggles.

"You're right about that one." She holds him to her securely for another few minutes and then decides that his body has probably had enough. "You ready to get out?"

Connor nods his head agreeably.

After a few minutes they're out of the hot tub and Chrissy is helping Connor adjust a towel around his waist. She's about to say something when Connor hushes her with a finger to his lips.

"Shh..."

"What?" She asks, wondering what he's listening to.

"Just listen." He smirks.

As soon as she stops and listens, she too can hear it. Murphy protesting against something Valery is insisting on.

Connor lifts a brow suggestively. "I wonder what she's trying to get him to do." He smirks again.

"Oh shut up." Chrissy wraps a towel around her frame. "Come on hop-a-long. Lets go see what the kids are up too."

Connor wraps an arm around her shoulders and allows her to wrap hers around his waist. "Why ye always got to be so mean to me?" He snickers.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N : I made up the name of a town in this chapter. Meh, why not I says. Another, situating chapter, just getting up in the setting of things.**

**Disclaimer :Hmmm boring, I still don't own them...**

**Chapter 8**

_6:30 A.M. Boston._

"Paul, it's me." Chrissy rubs her tired eyes with the palms of her hands. "Yes I know it's early. I need a favor."

She takes a sip of her now cold coffee, her nose scrunches as she realizes that her once hot caffeine liquid is now stone cold. "I need a very good, very quiet Lawyer and the same with a real estate agent. Can you find me some? The best of course."

She listens attentively to her friend on the other half of the line. "Listen, I need to get some property somewhere. A small town maybe..." Again she pauses and listens. "I want a big cottage or camp. Something on the lake, something in the back roads somewhere. I want them to be able to go to church."

Chrissy sighs. "They're doing good. Connor is healing up nicely now, still a bit sore, but he's much better. Murph has pains here and there, but other then that, he's back to his old self."

Her shoulder keeps the phone to her ear as she goes about the kitchen cleaning. " It's been like what four weeks now? They're board, going stir crazy. They need air, they need church. I just want them to be in a small town where no one knows who they are."

She leans against a wall. "Thanks Smecker, you're the best." Chrissy hits end on the phone and place it on the counter. She pulls her hair back behind her ears and stretches her back. Then she feels it, a presence behind her and she knows who it is.

"Ye don't have to go through all this trouble lass." Noah takes a seat at the nook behind her. "It must cost you quite a bit..."

"It's no trouble. Honestly." She turns and smile warmly. She leans over the counter and takes his hands in her own. "Sides, if I don't do these things for them, who will?"

Noah smiles back at her and tightens his grip within hers. "Ye're truly are a saint. And it makes this old man happy to know that his boys will always be looked after."

Chrissy kisses his cheek and then heads for the fridge."Sir, I dont' know about you, but I sure am hungry. Do you like waffles?"

)( )( )( )( )( )(

"As you can see, there's plenty of land here. Most of it is covered by forest, but it has fencing running around the entire property. This river leads to and then goes through the town." Kevin Right goes over large property plans of a hobby farm. A large rolled out document lies across Chrissy's dinning room table. "This here is a small orchard of apple trees. This is the barn, all the equipment will also be left there if you want, for an extra cost of course."

"Wow. It's nice. Really nice." Chrissy hovers over the plans thrilled. "How many bedrooms, bathrooms...and so on."

Kevin pulls out some papers from his suitcase. "Let me see. I know there's quite a few, but I don't remember the exact number." He begins flipping through his paper work.

"Also, I need to higher some people who will build stuff for me inside the house and then basically burn the blueprints, without asking questions." She says this sternly and seriously.

"I understand..." Mr. Right knows what kind of person Chrissy is and he smiles at this. She's exactly his type of person. She'll pay any amount of money for secrecy and loyalty. Kevin is known for being the best in the business for this sort of thing. He's never sold out a client and doesn't plan on doing so anytime soon. Specially this client. After his modo is Kevin Right, you can trust others to do it wrong or you can trust me to do it Right.

"Miss Chambours." He begins.

"Chrissy, just call me Chrissy." She sits at the end of the table, her eyes still glued to the prints.

"I need to know what you plan in order to get this done properly."

Just then Smecker opens the doors to the dinning room. "Chrissy, let me introduce you to your new attorney. Miss Alice Codwell."

Following close behind the FBI agent is a short woman. Chrissy's pretty sure that the top of this woman's head won't even reach under her chin. Miss Codwell is about 4'5, with a plump build and tanned skin. Her hair is a shoulder length cut with copper coloring and gold highlights. She wears a blue business skirt suit and carries a dark tan suitcase.

"Good afternoon Miss Chambours." The attorney smiles and holds out her little manicured hand for Chrissy to shake.

"Oh please, just call me Chrissy." She stands and shakes this new woman's hand. "Please, have a seat, both of you."

Smecker and Codwell make themselves comfortable.

Alice is the first to speak. "As you know, Kevin and myself are very good friends of Paul." She smiles and crosses her hands together. "He has not told us your plans, or why you need our help."

"I know, I asked him not to." Chrissy admits. "I do realize that as my attorney, you would never judge me, however there are somethings I really need to keep private. For both your safety."

Kevin and Alice pass a glance between each other.

"We understand this dear. However, if we don't know what we are helping you with and in my case, what I can do legally for you I don't see how we can be of service. In other words, we need to know what we are getting into. If we decide it's too much, we walk away right now. No questions asked. You won't have to worry about us talking, to anyone. This is part of what we do. Paul wouldn't have recommended us if this was not the case."

Chrissy lets this thought entertain her brain for a few minutes. After some deep thinking she comes up with something.

"Fine. A few conditions."

Both the Realtor and the lawyer nod.

"First off, I'll tell you everything. You decide it's too much. Walk out of here now." She stares coldly at the two people seated before her. "Second, if you so much as whisper anything and jeopardize me or the people I care about, Smecker will personally find away to dispose of you."

Smecker looks up at Chrissy almost shocked. "I can assure you..."

She turns her head at him briskly. "You bring them in, and they fuck up, then you take care of it."

He lights a cigarette. "Fine."

"Lastly, no questions asked ever. Suggestions, I'm open for. But if I need you and it's 2 AM...be there, no questions. If you can do all this and more, I'm willing to pay you extremely well. Is this clear?"

Kevin and Alice both nod.

Chrissy runs her hands through her hair and slowly makes her way towards the doors. "Kevin grab your property papers and then all of you follow me."

Mr Right does as he's told and then they all follow behind Chrissy up some stairs. Smecker knowing where they are headed smirks. Reaching the top of the stairs, Chrissy leads them to a bedroom door and then stops.

"I'm going to show you something. What I show you here, you can never talk about with anyone other then the people here. Understood." Chrissy sees them agree with her and then opens the bedroom door.

The attorney and Realtor are lost for words.

"Chrissy, who the hell are these people?" Murph scrambles to his feet.

"Boys, I want you to meet our new lawyer Alice Codwell and new real estate agent Kevin Right. Kevin, Alice these boys are the Boondock Saints." Chrissy crosses her arms infront of her chest. "I'm getting you boys a present."

"What the fuck?" Connor makes his way to her side. "Ye just goin t'ah keep tellin every person ye meet about'us?"

"Hey, hey. It's alright. I know them." Smecker pats Connor on the shoulder trying to ease the man. "I've known them for a long, long ass time."

Murph smirks and walks up to the new people before him. "Well it's nice to see some new faces for a change. Hey does Da know about this?"

"Actually, he was helping me all morning." Chrissy answers in an innocent voice.

Connor still not liking the idea that even more people know about them, lights a cig and takes a deep inhale. He feels lips on his cheek and tiny arms around his waist. He looks down and sees Chrissy beaming a bright smile at him and he can't help but smile back.

"So what ye gettin us?" Murph asks excitedly, rubbing his hands together. "It's gotta be good."

"Shut yer fuckin trap, ye greedy weezle." Connor attempts to smack his twin in the back of the head but misses as Murph dodges his movement.

"Oh come on Connor! Ye can't tell me it's not buggin ye. She had to get outside help for this. It's gotta be good!" Murph brings his attention back to Chrissy and gives her his sad pleading puppy eye look.

She rolls her eyes and sits at the edge of one of the beds. "Kevin if you could be so kind."

As if in a daze, Kevin shakes his head lightly, shuts his opened mouth and rolls out the prints onto the bed.

"I'm getting you this. It's a farm, well hobby farm out in..." She looks to Kevin for help.

"Oh. It's in Brace Bridge. About five hour drive from here." He hands the brothers each a copy of a the file he has on the property. "That has everything you need to know about the place."

Connor begins flipping through the file and notices the price of the property. His brow furrows and his eyes go wide. "Ye're not seriously thinkin of buyin this place, are ye?"

"Of course I am. Why else would these people be here." Chrissy looks over to Murph and smiles.

"Conn, it's about a twenty minute drive from this small ass town." Murph gleams.

"Yeah, so."

"Know one will know us. We can go into town without worryin. Be normal for a wee bit. Da can relax. Look at all the land!" Murphy is trying to get his brother to like this new idea, after if one brother didn't like it, then the answer was simple, they just didn't do it. When one was in doubt, then they just never persued. "We can change our names, just for this town. We can probably even go to church..." Murph looks at his brother from the corner of his eyes trying not to smile, trying to be serious. He knows the thought of confession will put his twin right on board.

"Aye." Connor answers slowly, as if in thought. "And I suppose all that land will give us somethin to do in the off season." He doesn't have to explain, everyone in the room understands his meaning loud and clear. Then he looks to Chrissy. "We'll pay ye back lass."

Chrissy lets out a huff of air. "Like I need the money. Don't worry about it. Please. This is a gift. Besides, you're not going alone, I'll be there when you boys are there. I need a vacation spot."

Chrissy makes her way to each of the twins and kisses them lightly on the forehead. "I've got alot of stuff to go over with these two..." She points to the attorney and the Realtor over her shoulder. "I'll let you boys go over the papers with your dad so you can read everything about the place and area."

She gets up to leave. "If all goes well, we should be there with in two weeks."

Connor and Murph look at each other amazed.

)( )( )( )( )( )(

"Come on. I want to come, honestly." Val pleads with her friend. "I can help with everything! Plus my medical background. Face it, you need me."

"I just don't want to take you away from your friends and family here." Chrissy admits. "And why do you want to go so bad anyways?"

Valery continues packing her stuff and almost has a fit of laughter. "Friends? What friends? You're my only friend Chris...I've never had time for anyother. And my family? That's a poor excuse. I'm old enough to not need permission thanks."

"I know, I know." Chrissy plops herself onto Valery's bed.

"Plus you guys are only going there for a few months, then coming back here. You said so yourself. You told me that you guys were going to rotate where you were staying all the time." Valery begins filling another duffel bag.

"Yeah I know. It's true. But you still didn't answer my question." Chrissy smiles cunningly. "Why do you want to come so bad?"

Valery stops packing for a second. Blinks quickly and then heads for her sock drawer. "Oh you know, it's a change of scenery. Something different to do."

"Right..." Chrissy decides to let this slide for now, already knowing the real answer to her question.

The lighter haired woman clears her throat. "Well I think that's everything."

"Alright. Well off we go then."

)( )( )( )( )( )(

A black Tahoe pulls into the long gravel driveway, the automatic gates closes behind it. Dust and dirt fly behind the moving SUV as it drives down past the orchards and past the duck filled pond. Finally, passing the gigantic rebuilt red barn, the vehicle comes to a halt in front of a massive two story log home. A cigarette butt is tossed to the ground as the car doors are opened and the passengers debark.

Murphy whistles and turns slowly as he walks up to the porch of his new home. Connor takes a quick glance. Impressed, he nods in his brothers direction and then they both head to the back of the vehicle to grab some luggage. Mr MacManus continues chewing on his no longer lit cigar, he closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath.

"That me dears, is the smell of heaven." The old man smiles in the direction of Chrissy and Valery, he then offers his arms and the girls each take one. "Now, lets see what the inside looks like."

Their new home is huge. Six bedrooms on the second floor, two of those being guest rooms and the others being newly renovated master bedrooms with their own bathrooms. There's a kitchen and dinning room on the main, as well as a library, living room and two more bathrooms. But the real catch is all the hidden door ways that lead from upstairs to the first floor and to the basement. There's also alot of escape routs that lead to outside, the barn and the forest. All of this planned and organized by Chrissy's new friends.

"It's gorgeous." Valery breathes out. "Just gorgeous." She drags her fingers along the brown banister.

"I have a room just for you." Chrissy giggles.

"What? Really? But I thought..." Valery can feel her blood rushing.

"Did you actually think, I thought you would ever agree to just stay put and not come along?" Chrissy pulls her long time friend into a hug. "I'm honored that you would want to follow me anywhere."

"I love you Chris." Valery can feel her eyes becoming teary.

"I love you too." Chrissy gives Val another good squeeze. "Your room is the last one on the right."

)( )( )( )( )( )(

"Do ye think anyone will ever find us here?" Connor askes his dad. Both men are sitting in the library staring at the fireplace. It's late and they are both obviously exhausted from a long trip and a long days work.

Noah leans to one side in his chair and removes the cigar from his mouth, tossing it into the flames. "Aye, I'm sure one day someone will." Seeing his son shift at this confession, he tries to lighten the mood. "However, I don't believe that won't be until a long time from now."

"Chrissy's thought of everythin." Connor shifts his lips from one side of his jaw to the other. "I think we're alright here Da."

"Aye, and why do ye say that?" The old man smiles.

"I don't know really. I just feel at peace here I guess." Connor stretches and stands up from his chair. "Ye feel it too don't ye Da?"

Noah nods agreeing. "Aye. No go get some rest me boy, it's been a long day."

Connor heads upstairs and walks past the two guest rooms. He's just about to pass Chrissy's room when he realizes that her door is open ajar and the light is still on. He looks through the crack and sees her sitting on the bed going over some paper work. Her hair is down and damp, she's got a pen in her mouth and she looks lost.

He knocks softly on the door.

"Come in Connor." She waves him in. "What's up?"

"Ye are." Connor looks at her worried. "Shouldn't ye be sleepin?"

"Why? What time is it?" She begins looking for a watch or clock. "I don't have the time in here."

"It's past 1 AM." Connor pulls out a chair and sits down. "Ye need help with anythin?"

"One? Are you serious?" Chrissy places her fingers in her hair. "Wow." She looks up at him to see him staring back at her. "No, Connor. I'm fine. It's nothing. Just trying to make sure everything was done. That's all."

"Well ye just let me know if there's anythin I can help ye wit." He offers her a kind smile.

"Thanks, I will." She begins placing the papers back in the folder and Connor moves to the bed to help her out. "It's alright. Go get some sleep I can do this."

"It's paper Chrissy. I may be an Irish man that likes to drink, but I can handle papers." He winks. "Sides, faster this is done the faster I can get ye into bed."

Chrissy looks up at him. He catches on.

"I mean the faster we can all get some rest." He clears his throat.

She snorts back a laugh. "Whatever you say."

The papers are sorted and filed. Tired, Connor begins to make his way to his room.

"Are you ok?" Chrissy grabs him by the wrist. She can feel his old scar under her fingers and thumb. Looking down at her own hand, she can see his scar running a perfect circle all the way around his wrist. Remembering the story behind this particular scaring, she blinks hard and looks away. "Connor?"

"I'm fine. Why?" He looks at her confused. "Still a little sore sometimes, but other then that..." He shakes his head.

"You just seem a little, distracted." She eases him to sit back down beside her.

"Well yeah. There's lots going on." He rubs a hand through his hair. "And we feel a built guilty about everythin ye do for us. Ye know, the over and above stuff ye always do."

"But I want to help."

"Aye, we know." He smiles and lets out a light chuckle. "After all this time, we're still not use to this kind of thin."

"Well, you can't tell me that you guys don't deserve a little 'thank you' here and there once and a while." Chrissy hugs his arm and leans her head on his shoulder.

"But we don't need anyone to thank us. That's not why we do what we do." He admits honestly. "We do what needs to be done." He stares blankly at the floor.

"I know." She sits up. Placing her hand on his cheek, she tilts his head towards her face. "And I do what I need to do to keep my boys safe. Don't ever ask me to stop, because I won't be able to."

They stare at each other for a few moments, both not knowing what to say. Feeling nervous for some odd reason, Connor pulls away from her grip, rubs his palms on his jeans and heads for her bedroom door.

"We'll see ye in the mornin Chrissy."

"Yeah. It's you boys turn to make breakfast." She giggles and begins covering herself with blankets. "Be a dear and turn off the light for me would you?"

"Sure." He turns off the light, closes the door and heads for his room.

"What the fuck?" He hears Murphy in front of him.

"What?" Connor begins opening his own bedroom door. "Ye can't sleep either?"

"No. What the fuck is with ye?" Murph takes a few steps closer to his twin. "She needs to do these thins for us. Just let her. I know it feels strange. But it makes her happy."

Connor heads into their room. "I just don't want us to be the only thin she thinks of all the time."

Realizing what his brother meaning is he clues in. "It's not like we're goin to die tomorrow."

Annoyed, Connor closes the distance between himself and Murph. "That's just it Murph. We never know."

"So does that mean ye're never goin to try and make thins work with her?" Murph begins biting at his thumb. "Because now I think ye're just fuckin makin excuses because ye're too much of a fuckin pussy."

Shocked, Connor turns again to face his twin. He pokes Murphy in the chest hard. "What the fuck did ye just say? And where the hell did ye get that idea?"

Murph smacks his brothers hand away. "Oh fuck off. I'm yer twin ye fuckin retard. Of course I know this shit. Plus anyone with a set of eyes and half a brain can figure'it out ye moron." Murphy sits on his bed and starts removing his boots. "Yer in love with the gurl and don't try to say anythin otherwize."

Fed up Connor leaps at his brother. "That's it!" Both of them land on the floor with a loud thud. The entire house is filled with the sounds of brothers beating on each other.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I know that there have been some spelling and grammar mistakes in the last few chapters. I plan on revizing them one day. For now I just feel the need to pump out some chapters. So plz bare with this little fanfiction writer for a bit ;)**

**Discalimer :Yardy Yardy hardee daa**

**Chapter 9**

Three men walk out the front doors of the little 's church. They all wear matching black pea coats. The eldest of the three, lights a cigar when his feet reach the last of the steps. From left to right, his head turns, looking casually down the street. The sun rays beat down onto the little white church, adding an almost heavenly feel to the area.

"Just another beautiful mornin." His teeth lightly clamp down on the hickory flavoured cigar between his lips.

Murphy opens the side door of the Tahoe that's parked on the side of the road. "Aye. Ye know what would make this mornin even better?" The darker haired twin rises a brow in his fathers direction. "If Chrissy's got those apple turn overs waitin for us when we get back."

Da smiles at his son and hops into the vehicle. "I couldn't agree more."

Murph shuts the door and slides into the front passenger seat. Licking his lips and rubbing his hands together, he glances over to his twin. "What'ye're waitin for? Lets get goin!" Obviously excited for today's breakfast, Murph taps the dash of the S.U.V.

"Ye're full of spunk now aren't'ye?" Connor tosses his cigarette out the window, and turns the key in the ignition.

"Yeah. So? I'm starvin." Murph rubs his hands together again and blows warm air in between them. "And why isn't the heat on? It's fuckin freezin in here!"

"Ye're such a pussy sometimes." Connor twists the switch for the vents on and the heating is heard humming to life. "And it's only the beginning of fall, what the hell are ye goin to do when winter gets here?" He brings his attention back to the dirt road he's now driving on.

"So I'm not well insulated. Fuckin sue me." Murph lets his attention drift to the homes and sites on the road.

"I bet I know someone who'll be willin to keep ye warm..." Connor snickers. He checks his rear view mirror and sees that his fater is also smirking from the corner of his mouth.

"Oh fuck ye! She's crazy and hurts me all the time. That woman's fuckin insane." Now chewing at his bottom lip, Murph ops to trying to ignore his brother.

"Ye're talkin about Val..." Connor lifts his brow enough so that they show just above his sun glasses. "I was talkin about the neighbours cows." He begins chuckling. Raising his arm at shoulder height, he attempts to block the punches that Murph throws his way.

"Alright boys. We're home. Behave infront of the ladies." Noah informs calmly, but sternly. The twins don't answer, they just stop rough housing.

Murphy is the fist to enter the kitchen. "Ha! I knew it!" He sits at the dinning table and eyes the meal in the middle.

Apple turn overs are piled on a gigantic plate in the middle, he can still see steam coming off of them. The little slits along their middle, give a sneak peak of what's waiting in side, golden apples covered in sticky cinnamon juices. The pastry itself is also golden with sugar sparkling it's skin.

He bites his tongue in the corner of his mouth in an attempt to keep waiting for everyone else to be seated.

Blue eyes land on the rest of the food just sitting there.

Crispy bacon. Scrambled eggs. Hot buttered toast. A fresh assortment of muffins. A pitcher of milk and a pitcher of orange juice. Golden waffles.

Murphy licks his lips. "Hey, is anyone comin to eat..."

"Sorry. I was just getting the coffee." Valery places a hot pot of coffee on the table over an oven mitt.

The dark haired brother clears his throat and quickly stands. "It's no problem. I'm just way too tempted to just start eatin. And I know Da might want to say grace first..."

Val looks him over curiously. "Right. So why are you standing? Did a bug bite you or something?"

Murph sticks his hands in his pockets, looking sheepish. "What? No. It's just we were always taught to stand when a woman comes to the table." He bites the inside of his lower lip. "Ma said it was proper manners and smacked us behind the head whenever we didn't do it." He laughs.

"That's...uhmm...old fashionned." Val takes a seat next to him. "I like it." She props her elbow on the table and plops her chin in her hand. "What else did your mom teach you?" She asks sincerely, smiling warmly at him.

He sits back down in his chair. "Our mum? Well..."

"Alright. Everyone's here." Chrissy walks in with a tray of fruit followed by Connor and Mr MacManus. "We'll let your dad say grace and then you can fill your face Murphy."

)( )( )( )( )( )(

Chrissy and Val hang wet linen and clothing on the lines behind the log home. Val has two baskets full of whites and Chrissy has two baskets full of darks.

"So why aren't we using the dryer? You know the brand new one in the basement?" Val pushes her hair back and ties it with a band. She stares at her friend, waiting for an answer.

Chrissy continues hanging linen. "Because, it's not that cold of a day. Fresh air always makes clean clothes smell great. Specially ones that dry in the air bathed with the scent of an orchard."

"Alright, alright." Val places her hands on her hips. "You don't have to get all Shakespearean about it on me. Sheesh."

Chrissy giggles. Then her eyes find attention else where. Two men, topless splitting wood by the barn.

Startled, Chrissy takes in a deep breath. Val has her chin propped on the other woman's shoulder.

"Yeah, now that's something a woman could get use to."

Chrissy pushes her friend away giggling. "You're such a school girl sometimes I swear." She steals one last look at Connor, shakes her head and tries to keep hanging laundry without smiling. What's with me?

)( )( )( )( )( )(

"Are you serious? We've been here what...a week?" Chrissy paces the living room floor, her arms crossed. "You both just got over your injuries. You're safe."

"It's not about being safe." Murph pushes out a breath of air. "Never was."

"And we can't just let these impostors go around pretendin to be somethin their not." Connor places a cigarette between his lips and lights it. "Think of it this way. These guys are goin around killin good people, makin it look like we did it." He tosses his zippo beside the pack of Marlboro's. "If the public starts thinkin, really believin that it really is us, then we'll have a problem."

Murph taps the end of his cig over the ash tray. "Aye. It changes everythin. Ye see, there's still alot of people out there that believe in what we do. If they start to think otherwise, then everyone all over this country will be out for us. We'll be spotted in a matter of weeks, days even."

"Even in this small town. People are bound to hear or see that kind of news." Connor takes a drag of his smoke. "It would only be a matter of time."

"Yeah I get that. I really do. But the news hasn't even got wiff of this yet. You guys can't just ride it out? You know wait and see what kind of story Smecker can come up with?" Chrissy tries pleading with them.

"Lass, listen. Smecker can only do so much. It's only a matter of time before the press figures this out. If we can put a silence on this before it gets out..." Noah puts a hand on her shoulder. "If we get these guys now, they will assume they were copycats the entire time and that the mobb put an end to'em."

"Do you think Smeckers plan will work? Do you really think the press will go for that?"

"Aye. We won't do the prayer with the pennies. We'll have to make it look like a hit." Murph ashes out his cig. "Plus Smecker already knows where we should look."

"We leave tonight. We won't be gone long." Mr MacManus kisses the top of her head. "Don't wait up dear, I promise we will all be back in the mornin."

)( )( )( )( )( )(

5 AM. Brace Bridge.

The head lights of the Tahoe beam on the gravel and steps of their home. Connor turns off the engine and rests his head against his hands that are still on the steering wheel. Murph continues staring blankly at the dash.

Noah steps out of the vehicle, lights a cigar and taps the hood. "Lets go boys."

The twins stalk through the door way following their father. "Now, be good boys and go check on the gurls. I'm sure their in the library, probably sleeping. This old man needs some rest."

They don't acknowledge anything their Da has just said, instead they just walk over to the library. The fireplace has only small coals that burn dimly in the darkened room. Valery is stretched out on the sofa with a book folded on her chest and her arm across her eyes. Chrissy has her feet up on a gliding stool, sleeping soundly in the matching chair.

"I don't wanna wake'em." Murph pockets his gloves and unties his coat.

"Aye. I know. But they were probably up most the night. They need some good rest." Connor signals for his twin to wake Val. "I don't think I can carry anyone tonight. I'll wake Chrissy and we can tell her what went on."

Someone shaking her shoulder lightly and saying her name, causes Chrissy to bolt from her sleep. "Connor?" She wraps her arms around his neck. "Where's your brother?" She asks scarred.

"He's over there waking Valery." He moves slightly so that she can see Murph rubbing Val's arm trying to wake her. "We're fine. And yes Da's alright..."

She tightens her grip around him. "I'm glad you boys are all home safe, with no major injuries..."

Connor pats her back. "See, Da was right. It's ok."

Chrissy pulls back and wipes a few stray tears from her cheek with her sleeve. "That's it for a while, right?" Her eyes meet his and she sees something there she's never seen before.

His blue eyes seem glossy, tired even a bit scarred. His face seems to be filled with sorrow, or regret. She can't quite place it.

Murph makes his way over to kneal down next to his brother. She notices the same look. The twins look at each other then at the ground. Their shoulders slump forward.

She quickly kneels down infront of them, takes each of their chins in her the palm of her hands and lifts gently so they are looking at her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

They both sigh and try to avoid her eyes.

"Hey, hey." She coos and moves closer. Chrissy tucks their heads on her shoulders, dragging her fingers soothingly through their hair. Their shoulders begin to shake and she can feel sobs trying to escape their chests. The brothers bury their face completely into the comfort of her shoulders. Their bodies give way and begin to relax, Connor grabs hold of her arm for comfort and Murph does the same. She can feel silent grief stricken sobs from them. She places loving kisses on the top of their heads and continues moving her hands in their hair.

Chrissy looks over her shoulder to Valery. A little shocked and feeling a bit out of place, she looks over the trio, her heart sinking.

"What can I do?" Her eyes never leave the boys. She begins to back away.

Chrissy smiles warmly at her female friend. "Stay with us. Please." She sees Val hesitate. "Your family." Vals eyes clear and she stares at Chrissy.

"But they need _you_. I don't know what...to do...what...happened..."

Chrissy's smile fades, her eyes begin to water. "Please. _I _need you. _They_ need you." She looks down at the broken men in her arms. "I can't do this alone."

Slowly, Val makes her way to them. She kneels behind them, her hands rise wanting to comfort them, not knowing how she drops them back into her lap. Then she thinks of the perfect thing. From under her sweater, hanging around her neck, she pulls out and clutches a white gold cross.

Closing her eyes, she pulls in a breath. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green Pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters."

She can hear the breathing of the two men begin to change. Val continues. "He restoreth my soul, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake..."

Clothes shuffle and she's sure they are relaxing. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and staff they comfort me."

Two hands grip her own, but she doesn't open her eyes. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies, thou anointed my head with oil, my cup runneth over."

The last part she clearly hears two male voices join hers.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Finally, she opens her eyes. Murphy and Connor each have a hand on her own. But neither have lifted their gaze from Chrissy's comfort. Either too ashamed of something, or just exhausted. Val smiles knowing that she was able to offer them some sort of comfort. She looks up to see Chrissy looking back at her appreciatively.

"Thank-you." Is all she says to her friend. It's all she needs to hear.

Valery's eyes brighten."What now?"

"We get them upstairs and cleaned." Chrissy again kisses the tops of their heads. "Come on boys. I know it's been a bad day, but you're home now."

Trying to figure out a way to help, Val grips Murphy's now free hand. "She's right..."

Murph looks first to the hand around his own and then to her face. She signals for him to follow her.

"Thanks." He pulls her to him and squeezes her tiny frame in his arms. "I think we needed to hear that."

Baffled, Val rubs his back with her constricted, yet only free hand. Murph pulls back, looks her in the eyes and then brings his attention to his brother. Connor is still leaning against Chrissy, his eyes open scanning the room behind her, his mind scattered.

"Conn..." Murph grabs his brother by the shoulder.

The lighter haired twin snaps out of whatever has his mind so distorted. Blue eyes scan all the faces in this room. "I'm so tired..."

Chrissy attempts to arrange his hair with her hands and kisses his cheek. "I know sweetie." She offers him her famous warm smile and slowly stands up. "Come on, lets get you boys upstairs. Alright?"

He nods.

)( )( )( )( )( )(

Connor and Murphy sit at the end of Chrissy's bed. Val and Chrissy sit at the top half.

Val tries to look calm by filing her nails, and chewing at her lower lip. Chrissy sits patiently, staring at both men. "So what happened?"

Connor sighs heavily and lets his body fall to the bed. He folds his hands over his face. "Well we can go over all the details later, but I think what yer really askin..."

Murph slouches forward "Is why are we so, messed up."

Connor looks over at Murphy through the cracks between his fingers. "Ye get to start..."

"Short version. We find these two eejits." Murph runs a hand through his hair. "Ye have to understand somethin these two arses are pretendin to be us..."

Connor shifts his weight on the bed. "Aye. But they're killin innocents instead..."

"So we find them and they didn't expect to see us there. Here's where it gets weird..." Murph pulls out a cigarette and lights it, inhales.

"They aren't wearin masks or anythin like us. Not even black coats." Connor snickers. "Fuckers were in desert camo."

"It gets weirder then that." Murph inhales another drag. "So me and Conn go all silent tiger on them and sneak around. When we both jump up to make the shot, we notice something..." Not able to continue, he shakes his head, disgusted.

"Their twins." Connor explains. "Identical." He swallows hard. "But it's either them, or us."

"They must of known we were twins...even through our masks...I swear they knew!" Murph is almost yelling now.

"So we pop a few rounds in their knees...I can't explain why we were takin our time..." Connor rubs his eyes. "Disbelief...shock...I don't know..."

Murph stands and ashes his cig in the tray on the desk. "We get them to stand up. They're in pain, hobblin around. I don't even remember what we were asking...They're scared. They keep tryin to look at each other. Keep tryin to give us that 'I'm goin to kill ye if ye touch him' look..." He sighs, ashamed. "Then the one I got by the neck looks at his brother and the other guy looks back, they both nod."

"They fuckin knew! And they were ok with it, because they were together, and knew we would give them that." Connor presses his palms to his eyes. "I saw Murph lookin at me from the corner of my eye, I looked back and nodded. We said our prayer..."

"You did what you had to..."Chrissy states.

"Ye don't understand." Murph sits back on the bed looking right at her. "If they would have had a few seconds on us..."

"Aye, that could have been us." Connor says just above a whisper. "I don't know what I would do if Murph..." He looks up at his brother, who's gripping his shoulder. "The only descent thin for us to offer, was to kill them at the same time. So that the other..."

"So that the other wouldn't have to go on without his other half." Murph swallows a lump in a throat. "And we both know that had things been turned around, knowin that we are twins, they would have only killed one of us..."

Know fully understanding their meaning, but not their connection and how deep it actually goes, Chrissy and Valery feel their hearts go out to these two brothers. Their pain. Their grief.

For something that almost happened.


End file.
